Make believe

Chapter 7

"He's in a band?!" Aubree squealed as we walked through the mall. I rolled my eyes, glancing at the near by stores.

"Yes, he's in a band."

"Girl, hook me up!" I laughed at Aubree's love of musicians. She didn't even know the guy, but I bet she'd do anything to get a date with him.

"No," I groaned. "Lets not talk about boys today, okay?"

She nodded silently. "So...what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know! Tell me about your life! Fill me in on all the details of what's up. Right now, I want to talk about Aubree."

"Really?" She asked.

"Really."

And so, Aubree Adison Carter proceeded to rant about her current status of, 'not single', 'not taken', but being simply 'a little complicated'. I smiled as I listened to her talk. We never did that anymore. Just talk about our lives, instead of our conversations being focused on some boy.

We talked and walked a little while longer until popping in to a store so Aubree could buy a new phone case. Absentmindedly, I walked around outside the store, scrolling through twitter and waiting for her. Glancing over, I saw her flirting with a tall, blonde boy who was helping her with her phone. Smirking, I turned back around. Oh Aubree...

Suddenly, I tumbled in to a body.

"I'm so sor- oh, hey!" And then I was looking up at Luke Hemmings.

"Laraine, hey!" He grinned widely, steadying me. "What are you doing here?"

I untangled myself from his arms and took a step back, blushing. Pointing behind me to the store, I said "Shopping day with Aubree."

"Oh yeah? That sounds fun." He said. I looked up at him and melted inside all over again. He had slight simples that showed themselves when he smiled widely, and a lip-ring hanging from his lip. He was smiling at me with bright eyes.

"Listen, I've been meaning to call you, actually, um-" he started, but was interrupted.

"Well hellooo...who's this?" Aubree sang from begin me. She strutted over, making quick eye contact with Luke, then turning to me, winking.

"Uh, Luke, this is my best friend Aubree..." She gave him a wave, and he smiled awkwardly, extending out his hand. I laughed out loud, remembering how we had shook hands when we first met. Who did that anymore? I decided it was painfully endearing on him.

She shook his hand slowly, looking him up and down.

"And Aubree, this is Luke." I finished the introduction.

"....Luke, your...?"

"Friend." I blurted. "My friend."

We were friends, right? I mean, that was obviously a date we had went on, but he hasn't called me since...

"Mhm." She grinned, smirking at me. I hope Luke didn't catch that. An awkward silence settled over us, with Luke scratching his neck and looking at his shoes, Aubree looking between us two, smiling widely, and with me, bright red and wishing to be anywhere else.

"I'm gonna go." She said abruptly, blowing me a kiss before heading back in to the cell phone store; probably to talk to the boy from before. I turned to watch her leave, both angry at her for leaving me alone in the awkwardness, but also thankful, because then it was just me and Luke.

"Well..." I began.

"Sooo..."

More silence. Did we really have to go through this every time we were together? The night of our date, he had only started out like this, and soon became more out going.

"I-"

"Laraine," Luke said, suddenly. "I, uh, wanted to say that, well, I thought Saturday night was, was great. And, um, would you want to do something like that again?"

My mind raced, yes yes yes yes. I wondered how we could have such awkward and uneasy conversations, yet I still wouldn't think twice of going on a second date with him. There was this quality about him, this attitude he had towards life. It was extremely attractive, pulling me in, and not letting me go.

It was torturing, how much I liked it.

"Of course." I answered, playing with my hair.

"Really?" His eyebrows shot up, his eyes ablaze with something...excitement? Nah.

"Good." Smiling confidently, he said, "Actually, if you wanted to hang out tonight..."

Oh no. No, don't ask me about tonight.

"Me and my mates are having a sort of pizza night thing, where we watch movies and play games..."

No. Don't ask me. Don't ask me.

"Do you want to come over tonight? And meet them?"

Silence.

His face fell at my hesitation, but only slightly.

"I- I have a thing tonight." I said simply, not wanting to reveal that I was actually going over to another guy's house. It wasn't anything romantic like that, it just wouldn't have looked good.

"I wish I could, though." I added, sending him a smile. Why did they have to be the same night? Why why why...

"Oh. Okay." He nodded, understanding.

"Are you ready to leave?" Aubree asked out of no where. She came walking and stopped next to me.

I looked to Luke. "I guess."

I left, promising to make plans with Luke in the near future. I felt weird. Extremely odd. We went on this date, this amazing date and had an amazing time, and it's like I bumped in to a stranger in there. I liked him. I really, really did. I just hadn't figured out how to act around him quite yet.

* * *

Later that night, I had walked to the apartment over on Oak Street, checking the text Ashton had sent me, telling me their room number. It was a big, brick building standing right at the corner of the street, looming just over the local park settled next to it. The year 'round Christmas lights shimmered as they were strung around lamp posts and through gates.

After walking up flight after flight of stairs, I finally made it to thier floor. Checking both directions, I took a left, then another, then another, and finally, I was standing in front of a door with the numbers 324 written across it.

Knocking, I did a last second fix of my hair. I heard shouts from the other side of the door, and something falling with a crash.

"Damn it, Calum! Your cleaning that up!"

"Get off me, I need to let Laraine in!"

Then the door opened to reveal Ashton in a 'all time low' t-shirt, head turned and shouting something to someone I couldn't see.

Turning his attention back to me, he fixed his hair with a swish of his head. "Afternoon, Laraine. Ready for pizza?"

Before I could answer, he was already talking. "But first, this is Calum." He widened the door and I stepped inside. Ashton was pointing to a tan, dark haired boy holding a broom, cleaning broken shards of glass off the kitchen floor. Calum didn't glance up, being too concerned with the broom in his hand.

Out of nowhere, I was hugged from behind, causing me to jump.

"That's Michael...as you probably could've guessed." Ashton explained, smirking.

The arms released me, and I was looking at a boy who was quite pale, and who sported bright green hair.

"Nice shade of green." I commented.

Michael looked from me to Ashton, a wide set grin on his face. "I like this one. Can we keep her?" I giggled, slightly shaking my head at his childish excitement.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw someone else walk in to the room, head down, concentrated on a phone.

"Oh, and Laraine, this is Luke." Ashton introduced.

Luke glanced up, then stopped.

"Laraine?"