anorexia ⇨ l.h. [completed]

chapter 7

| recovery |

************

a few weeks after the incident that riley had, she hadn't been to school. luke was worried, but a part of him told him not to be because she was obviously recovering.

luke was walking with his three friends when ashton, the dirty blonde one said, "hey guys i haven't seen the freak around in a while, you reckon she died?" he said earning laughs from michael and calum. luke awkwardly let out a chuckle and looked up from the floor and noticed the brown hair, the very familiar long brown hair. then she turned around.

riley.

"guys she's right there." luke said pointing.

calum, the dark brown - almost black - haired one, chuckled. "hey freak!" he called jogging over to her.

riley looked up slowly tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "err.. hi." she mumbled.

"speak so i can hear you." calum said through gritted teeth.

"hello." she said a bit louder.

"so, i heard about your little 'almost death' incident that happened a few weeks ago." riley swallowed. "why aren't you dead?" he chuckled and walked back to the group of boys, earning high fives from ashton and michael.

"did you see her face?" michael, the green haired one said while laughing.

"guys-" luke was cut off.

"i know! it was priceless!" ashton laughed.

"guys it wasn't funny." luke said louder.

the boys stopped laughing. "what do you mean?" ashton said. "that was fucking hilarious! what's your deal?"

"you don't have a crush on her do you?" calum asked in disgust.

luke felt his cheeks heat up. "n-no, i just don't think it's cool to fuck with someone like that."

the three boys just turned on their heels and walked away leaving luke standing there. "was it something i said?" he rhetorically asked.

--

after school luke went to the park again. he's been going there a lot lately. he sat on the same bench he always sat on, and saw her once again.

riley coleman.

he got up and made his way over, making sure she knew he was coming her way. he slung his backpack down and sat next to her, looking at the kids on the playground across from them. riley awkwardly cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. luke doing the same. riley crossed her arms, making luke do the same. riley realized what game he was trying to play.

riley did the most bazar things, which luke copied, earning little laughs from riley every now and then.

this is the one time riley got to look at luke. his beautiful blue eyes and black lip ring made riley get nervous and excited butterflies in her stomach. nervous ones because he was very attractive to riley, and didn't know why he was trying to open up to her all of a sudden, and excited ones because he was actually talking to her.

"why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" riley asked trying to calm down from her laughter.

luke fiddled with his thumbs. "i want to fit in." he mumbled.

"what?"

"i want to fit in." he repeated. "i want to be accepted by my friends. i want them to keep inviting me to parties, to keep in contact with me. i don't want them to be mad at me, so i was mean to you. i'm sorry." he said looking up for a quick second, then looking down.

"oh." riley said. "it's okay i guess..."

"no it isn't. i was mean to someone so innocent and it just doesn't make sense!" he yelled at himself. "i don't deserve the life i have, i don't deserve shit!" riley cringed at his choice of words. "sorry for the language." luke mumbled.

"no, it's fine." she said. "but don't say that, y-you have a whole life ahead of y-" luke cut her off.

"my life is a piece of sh- my life is a bunch of mess right now, and I probably won't be able to fix it, ever. i was never excepted before i met calum, ashton, and michael. but now i'm finally accepted, but i'm accepted the wrong way, a way i don't want to be accepted. i want to be known as me, not some bully." luke said.

riley nodded. "can you keep a secret?"

// updated: 6/20/16 //