Stay (Punk Luke Hemmings)

Chapter 1

Clacking against the shiny black floor, my shoes count down the seconds until it's socially acceptable for me to leave the smoky, loud club, full of young adult getting wasted. There's pounding music accompanying the beat of my shoes, some pop punk song that sounds all too familiar and just serves to piss me off more.

Lazily, I stir the drink in front of me with my finger, trying desperately to distract myself from the boy chatting away next to me.

"You're so beautiful, did you know that, Andy?" His voice holds the hint of an American accent, some kid here to get with some Australian girls. Jokes on him, as I'm not even native Aussie, and apparently he was drunk enough to notice my lack of accent.

I merely hum in response, searching the crowded dance floor for a familiar head of hair, the one who had gotten me into this in the first place, as the poor boy next to me tries again, not really getting the message.

"You know, it's so loud here, maybe we should get out of here. Get to know each other better."

His proposition makes me actually look at the boy in pity, taking him in. He's cute- reasonably tall, shaggy brown hair, glittering grey eyes, a vans t-shirt, and a pair of earrings glinting in his ears. His name was Jordan, or Jayden, and he was just another failed blind date, Rose's well meaning but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to get me a boyfriend.

"Sorry, I have to go. Nice to meet you, Jordan, enjoy the rest of your stay here." I throw out my excuse before slipping away through the crowded bodies. I should probably feel guilty, he looked like a wounded puppy at my rejection, but I can't muster the energy. Maybe it was Jayden.

Glinting under the multicolored lights, I spot the shimmering black hair, unmissable as it swishes with the beat. There's more than a few pairs of eyes watching Rose, tight white dress standing out in contrast to the long black hair. Wanting to get out of here as fast as I can, I tap her shoulder, shouting in her ear as she continues to dance, but I know I have her attention. She wants to know how her set up went.

"Rose! I'm leaving, not with him, I'll see you tomorrow! Don't get too wasted!" I shout in her ear, avoiding the gazes of the people watching us, before making my retreat, hoping to avoid a lecture on my behavior.

Of course, I'm not that lucky, as she follows me, grabbing my shoulder as I hit the pavement, slick with rain, outside the club. She turns me to face her, ignoring the glare of the bouncer a few feet away from us, looking on in disapproval.

"Andy, you can't keep doing this." Rose exasperatedly declares, looking at me with poorly disguised pity.

I cross my arms over my chest. I didn't want another Luke lecture, nor did I want her pity. "Doing what?"

"Blowing off every guy. It's been almost two years."

"This has nothing to do with him. And I haven't blown off every guy, remember, Chase and I gave it a go."

She eyes me with those scrutinizing eyes, seeing straight through me. "Don't give me that bullshit. Chase doesn't count. But Luke... Their song started playing and suddenly you had to leave? Please."

"Rose, I don't have time for a boyfriend, nor do I really want a one night stand tonight. I'm getting a huge assignment at work tomorrow, I'm in a relationship with my job, and that's all I need."

"No, you're still letting yourself by wrecked by some dumb guy from 2 years ago. Was he really the last guy you slept with? You gotta let it go."

I scowl, tucking my long hair behind my ear, brushing across the piercings trailing up my ear. "He was not, I don't even care about Luke anymore, stop making this about him. I prefer not to think about him at all, let alone let myself be defined by our relationship. This is about me. Not him. For my best friend, you really like to piss me off."

Rose looks at me sadly. "Oh, sweetie."

"Don't call me sweetie, Rosie. Love you. I'll see you tomorrow, don't get too buzzed tonight." I hug Rose fleetingly before turning around and walking away.

She yells after me, needing the last word before I hear her heels clacking back into the club. "We're not done taking about this!"

I walk home slowly, contemplating Rose's words. One failed relationship did not a broken person make.

But then again, if I was being honest, Luke had been THE failed relationship. A tall tattooed punk boy in a band I had accidentally fallen in love with, who I thought had loved me too. It was the classic stupid breakup over his inability to say what I needed to hear. And I had thought it had been that, until he had shown up the night before he was supposed to leave for an undecided amount of time, told me he loved me, promised to stay, and made love to me (fucked my brains out), then left me to wake up alone in the morning. The one time I'd tried to call him after that, on the night I was afraid my whole world was about to collapse even further, he had ignored me.

I had learned my lesson after that. Now, I was strong.

I had thrown myself into my work at a radio station music company. I had gone to school. I didn't need Luke, nor did I let what he did to me rule my life. I had stayed in contact, barely, with his bandmates, my other best friends, Ashton, Michael, and Calum. It was hard, as they reminded me so painfully of Luke.

Unlocking the door to my small apartment, I drop my keys next to the door, kicking my black combat boots off.

I hated being reminded of Luke.

As if reading my mind, my phone starts ringing. I fish it out of my pocket, answering as I try to start shedding clothes. I needed a hot shower, and I needed it now.

"Hello?"

"Andy! It's been so long!" The chirpy voice on the other end is familiar, and despite how I feel right now, it brings a huge smile to my face.

"Ashton, it's only been a week and a half."

"When you're across the world, anytime feels like a lifetime. How are you doing?" His happy voice makes me relax a bit as I struggle to get my tights off.

"I'm just excellent, home from another one of Rose's set ups. This time, he was an American tourist and I'm pretty sure I messed up his name. How are you? Where are you right now? I can't keep track."

"Right now we're in LA, going on tour again next week with the lads, can't believe we're almost to round 2. Holy shit."

I finally get my tights off, not even bothering with the skirt right now. "That's amazing. I'm really excited for you guys."

"Thanks, Andy. There's gonna be some reporter person with us the whole time apparently, it's supposed to be this big deal, but it honestly sounds kinda scary, our whole experience documented. Like, they're probably gonna see us in our underwear."

I laugh, turning the water on the bathroom, enjoying the feel of the steam already filling the room. "That sounds scary, what if they're creepy?Hey Ash, I'm really sorry, but I have something going at work tomorrow, and you're still shit at timezones, so I'll call you later. Give my love to Mikey and Cal, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course, love you Andy."

Feeling deflated as our conversation ends, I toss my phone in the general direction of my bed before stripping off completely and stepping in the shower.

Standing in the torrent of warm water, I stand in the shower longer than I probably should. But after a night with so many reminders of the one person I wish I could scrape out of my memory completely, I need to wash him away as much as I can.

I had meant it when I had said I was done with Luke, almost 2 years ago, and I wasn't going to go back on that promise to myself now.

*okay sorry this chapter is shit but I really just needed to get an intro into where everyone is before I can get to the good stuff. Anyway, review please?:)*