Close as Strangers

Chapter 8

That's it. Over, just like that. She's my everything and we're done because I left her in the dark like I had so many times before. I had one week until tour, where I could try to forget. I don't want to forget, but I've broken her so many times that I don't want to think about how cowardly I was.

I awoke this morning, nothing in my mind then the encounter of yesterday came in like a wave in my mind. I lay in bed, I punched my pillow and laid back down, pulling the covers back over my head.

"Luke?" I curled up more to try and hide, though it was pretty difficult being six foot. "Luke."

"Mom I don't feel like school right now, can I just have the day off?"

"Luke, it wasn't all your fault, you need to know that, Isabelle"

"Izzy."

"Izzy, has abandonment issues, and you're a busy young man starting your career, that's not your fault, she should be okay with it, especially because she knows that you just kick started your career."

"Mom, she doesn't. She needs someone to be there, her parents aren't even there for her. Did you know her dad thought she was out of school last week when he came home? They probably don't even know she's graduating."

"That's not your fault though Luke, stop acting like it is." I groaned and rolled over back in the shelter known as my bed. My mom patted my leg and got up and walked away to leave me to lay in bed, reminiscing the old times with Izzy.

~

I continued in school on that Wednesday, thinking about the days I had left in this place and how I was finally going to be in London away from this torturous place. My heart ached thinking of Luke, a bruise that would surely heal with time if I let myself get over him. He hurt me too many times, I love Luke, I love him but I need someone that can be there for me, no one else was, aside from Caitlin and my dogs. I stared into space during my classes, no motivation to work. My teachers tried getting me to work and tried getting me to pay attention but they realized quickly I was doing anything, though they just figured it was Senioritis. In art I managed to just draw like two things on my project. School dragged on and after it was over Caitlin and I headed to go do our work shift.

"Alicia?"

"What?"

"What happened yesterday with Luke?"

"We broke up." My heart throat tightened at the words and I looked at the ground, trying to stop myself from crying.

"Alicia." Caitlin stopped me and brought me into a hug and I felt tears coming on.

"He couldn't even tell me he was leaving again." I managed to squeak out before tears started coming down my face. I wipe them away mentally telling myself I'm not allowed to cry. We stood there for a few minutes and she let go, us continuing down the road. Once we got to Papadoms I started to work. I was running around completely a mess and I wasn't focusing at all. I mixed up orders and got a low tip due to my horrid focus today. When I finished work, I started to home, Caitlin let me be, knowing I'd rather be alone at this moment.

I awoke another day, and as the three weeks left of school went on I felt the same, by the time graduation came, my dad showed up and stayed for twenty minutes before he left in a hurry to go off on another business trip. I was alone again. I glanced over at my best friend and how happy she was, I won't be seeing her for a year after this, she's starting college late and touring with Michael, Calum, Ashton and him. After we all threw our hats in the air, we all went to get pictures and Caitlin and I took a few, I took some of her family and her and I hugged her goodbye, as I had to leave to go to London and prepare for the start of college.

The airport was boring and I sat alone waiting for my flight to be called. When it was, I headed to get on the plane, realizing that I wasn't going to be looking back any longer. I walked down the aisle of my plane and went to my window seat, buckling and pulling out my blanket from my carry on which I was intent on keeping with me at all times. A elder man came and sat next to me, which I was slightly relieved, someone that wouldn't feel like talking. Next a younger guy came to the row, looking at his ticket with a questionable look on his face. He sat down I guess figuring out this was his row. He gave me a slight smile and I returned it, feeling nothing like smiling at this moment. I turned to the window turning my phone off waiting for take off in about ten minutes. The elderly man sat there, with a nervous look on his face.

"I'm not much of a fan of riding planes, they give me a terrible fright." He said this with a thick British accent and I nodded. He kept making attempts to talk to me, not noticing that I had no interest in conversation.

"Excuse me sir, it seems you may have been sitting in my seat, would you mind switching, I'd like to get a good look out of the window." The young man said and the elderly man switched with him, the younger man, saving me from conversation the whole plane ride. He was nice looking, tall, with brunet hair and blue eyes, straight white teeth resulting in a dazzling smile and he was wearing an Aerosmith cutoff tee and black jeans.

I started sleeping when the plane lifted off and I awoke with a start sometime later due to turbulence. The young guy laughed, at my startle.

"I'm Will by the way."

"Isabelle, my friends call me Izzy though."

"Well Isabelle, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well." We started conversation, talking for a great majority of the plane ride. He was kind, and funny, I liked that. The end of the plane ride came and we got off the plane together.

"I am glad to have met you Isabelle"

"Call me Izzy." I smiled

"Izzy, shall I see you again?"

"Maybe, it'll depend on if you call me or not." I answered back to him, writing my number down on a slip of paper and handing it to him I got my bag off of bag check and headed to exit the airport.

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Okay! So I hope you liked this chapter, I was trying to get the ball moving a bit on it and I hoped you liked it, because I sure did like writing it.