Crash 卌 luke hemmings

Ch 4

卌 Friday, September 20 卌

My grasp on Calum's limp arm tightened as we approached the quarry.

"Beth, are you on steroids? You're gonna squeeze my arm off," Calum laughed. I looked up knocked out of my daze.

"What? No I'm sorry. I'm a little out of it," I nod up at him.

Calum gives a small smile. "Just enjoy yourself. We're not even going to talk to Luke.  Don't worry."

I laugh to myself knowing he thinks this is about Luke. I didn't care about Luke. He was some random man hoe that I had no intention of knowing. I thank Calum for his kindness anyway.

We approached the cement hole with the giant crowd and saw the four cars lined up. I saw Luke's head pop out of the window of his car. The black paint job seemed to glow under the streetlights above. The red trim of it popping from the contrast.

I found myself staring at not only the car but the face inside it. My eyes were drawn in by the presence of the boy. His face finally turned my way and the entire world seemed to stop for a second. It seemed like a lifetime. The two corners of his mouth tugged up into the same smirk from earlier that day. I was torn from his face and my own thoughts by a vibration coming from my back pocket. Startled by my own infatuation, I shook my head, letting go of Calum and looked down at my phone to see none other than Ashton's name. It was just like something out of a movie. I turned around and held the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I said nervously.

"Babe? Hey what's wrong?" he asked obviously concerned by the way I answered the phone.

"Nothing, nothing," I said lying because i was still confused and shocked by the way I acted. "I'm just out with a friend I made today."

"Well that's great Beth! I just wanted to see how today went but I will call you later. I love you," kindness and sincerity in his voice.

I smiled. "I love you too. I'll call you later."

I walked back over to Calum feeling guilty even though I did nothing. My face looked back up at Calum's. "So now what?"

"Now, they race."

The word "race" still made my spine tingle with uneasiness.  Everything about the situation made me feel uncomfortable.  Like I was doing something wrong by being here, but Calum was here and he was kind enough to bring me, the new girl here, and I wasn't about to be a bitch and turn that down... plus I definintely wasn't riding the subway home alone.  I look up to see Luke behind him at a blonde with a mini skirt and crop top strutting over to the car just as the drivers started their engines again. She bent over through the window and kissed Luke.  Luke seemed to rev his engine creating a roar in the crowd. The girl walked back over the sides, looking pretty proud of herself.  

"I can see what you mean by ladies man now," I said. Calum chuckled to himself.  "Whore of the week?"

"More like every other week.  She always seems to come back for more with him,"  I nodded.

The crowed seemed to get louder as the four cars lined up in front of the same girl. She held a black and white checkered flag in her hands. Whistles and hoots came to life as she started to wave the flag. Forcefully, she jerked her arm down signaling for the cars to go. They all sped past her blowing her blonde hair back into the wind. Luke's car pushed into first as they took the first turn. The cars behind him struggling to keep up. A blue car with black stripes sped up and creeped up onto Luke's tail. The front of his car reached Luke's side mirror. As if predicting the future, Luke's car jerked to the side just as the other car tried to ram into him. The other car ran off the road into a giant dirt pile. The front of the car completely smashed up like an accordion.  Gasps ran through the crowds. My hand moved to my mouth.  I looked up at Calum.

"Is he going to be okay??" My head shot back to see a guy pop out of his wrecked car. He ripped off his helmet, his dark roots and blonde tips were flattened with sweat. He was three fourths of the way done when he crashed. He threw his helmet down on the ground as Luke passed the finish line in first place. "Who is that?"

"Michael Clifford. Basically, Luke's arch enemy if you wanna talk superhero to me," he said completely serious.

Michael made his way over to Luke who was sitting on the hood of his car with an arm around the blondes waist. His fist was in the air in victory as the crowd cheered like he was the Lord Savior. It was hard to hear over the screams but it was obvious that Michael was yelling at Luke. Luke nonchalantly got up off the hood shooing the girl away as Michael got in his face. Luke looked calm until Michael raised his fist and punched Luke straight into the face. A sudden switch seemed to go off in Luke.  It triggered something in him. Luke wiped his lip and hit Michael square in the jaw. Before Michael even had time to react, Luke used his other hand to hit him in the nose. The crowd hushed as the crack ran through the air and Michael stumbled backwards. A few of Michael's friends ran over to him as Luke jumped back into his car and sped off into the night.

I sat there in total disbelief over what had just happened.  My first night out in New York and I had experienced basically my worst fear as well ask a fight with a boy that stared at my ass.  New York was a freak show and all I wanted was to be back home.  

"Cal, can you take me home?" I asked not feeling anxiety anymore now that the race was over but more regret and distaste with the last 24 hours.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm glad I met Calum but it basically seemed like he was going to be the only good thing out here.

Calum nodded and I took hold of his arm yet again needing some sort of security from the feeling of fear for what the future held for me.

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After Calum dropped me off, I ran up to my room to call Ashton.  

"Hello?" he answered the phone sounding like he was already asleep.

"Did I awake the sleeping beauty?" I giggled to myself trying to be as quiet as I could without waking Stefan.

"Early morning practice," he yawned.  "How was hanging out with your friends?"

"Friend," I corrected him.  "It was...interesting." I twirled the necklace Ash had given me only two weeks before in between my fingers.  "I miss you."

"I miss you too babe.   Don't worry I am going to visit soon.  I promise."  I nodded although he couldn't see me.  

"I just wanted to hear your voice before I went to bed,"  I paused.  "By the way you're a complete loser.  What is it? 9 o'clock over there? And on a Friday night none the less."  I laugh at my argument because knowing Ashton, he always took sports very seriously.

"I guess I just couldn't stand the thought of another Friday without you."  

I blushed.  "I would hit you for being so sappy, Ashton Irwin." I heard his contagious laugh on the line.  "Goodnight."

"Goodnight beautiful," he said before the welcome of the dial tone took over my ear drums.

I threw my phone down on the bed and spred myself as wide as I could, staring at the ceiling fan rotating above my head.  Everything from the past few hours hit me like a brick.  Every intention I had to make the best of the situation backfired causing me to painstakingly remember things I tried so hard to keep out.  Feelings that should never exist both because of reason and nonexistant knowledge, were brought to life from a look.  My eyes began to glaze with a clear coat and everything became blurry.  I felt a streak of wet leave the corner of my eye and roll down my temple onto my hair and eventually the bed.  I needed strength.  I needed courage.  I needed to let myself fall into the unknown.

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holaaaaaa

Sorry this took so long! I had a presentation that decided whether I was graduating or not and I passed! So YAY!  Hopefully you guys like the action in this a little more.  It'll show how the rest of the book will go.  I know the chapters are still a little short. I hope to make them a little longer.  But thank you to those who have obviously showed interest in continuing reading.  Vote and comment!

Love you guys!

Megan