changes • cake

.5

Wednesday

Luke had woken up to the sound of his alarm in the other room, groaning in pain from it being the second day in a row to him waking up with a headache. He was confused as to where he was for a second before he sat up, feeling water continuously hitting him.

"If you move one god damn inch, you're going to regret it. Understand?"

The man shivered when he remembered last night, picking up his arm and turning the water off. Luke could still hear the alarm and he knew if he didn't turn it off, Jeremy would eventually wake up from his spot on the couch.

The poor boy stood up slowly, crying out when his legs buckled and he landed on his hands and knees. He breathed heavily, looking at the tiles underneath him and watching water droplets coming from his hair and landing on the ground. His whole body felt like mush and he felt boiling hot and freezing cold all at once.

Luke felt like he had been staring at the ground for hours before he finally found strength to stand up again. His hands gripped the counter shakily and he looked in the mirror, seeing his hair a mess and his cheeks bright red along with his eyes. The boy realized that it wasn't just water he saw falling onto the ground.

He grabbed his shirt, pulling the wet cloth off his body. Luke continued to let out shaky breaths, grabbing a towel that had been discarded on the counter and beginning to dry his body and hair off.

Luke honestly didnt know how he managed to get himself ready, considering his stomach was cramping and he was sweating and shivering all at once. He knew it wasn't a smart idea to go to school but he couldn't leave Michael considering they were talking more about the project today. He needed to be there for him.

He had finally slipped his shoes on, glancing at the clock and cursing under his breath when he realized he would be late even if he speeded. The blond was determined though and he pulled himself to his car, making sure not to slam the door on the way out.

Once Luke went to unlock his car door, a wave of nausea hit him and he hunched over, his hands on his stomach. He bent down, his hands tangled in his hair. "I can't.." his blond hair was in between his fingers and he tugged on it harshly. "Fuck.." He found himself next to his car, a few stray tears falling from his eyes, half of them falling into his hands and the other onto the concrete.

It took a few minutes until he pulled himself together, finally standing up and getting into his car. As he drove towards the college, his face was blank, not a single trace of emotion left. Lukes breathing stayed steady and so soft that it was like he was barely breathing at all.

The blond finally got to his class, stumbling in about twenty minutes late. Unlike high school, no one paid attention because frankly, Michael was the only one who cared. He walked over, taking his seat next to Michael. He leaned back, letting out a soft sigh.

"Jesus fuck, you look like death." The red haired man glanced at him, his eyes going back to the notes he was frantically writing in his notebook. "What happened to you?" He genuinely seemed worried about his friend, considering he was staring at the huge white board with zero concern.

"Just..woke up late." Just as he finished his words, he sneezed into his elbow, a small groan leaving his lips afterward. "Mikey.." Luke groaned, his hand reaching over and gripping his sleeve.

Holding onto the others sleeve was a sign of need, only doing it when the other felt bad emotionally or physically. Michael realized it immediantly and shook his head. "Baby, you need to go home." He said in a hushed tone. "I'll give you the notes okay?" His left hand reached over, holding onto Luke's right one gently, knowing the glass cuts were still there.