Wherever You Are // A Luke Hemmings fanfiction

Part 10

(Mikki POV)

“So, how’s your relationship with Luke?”

I froze, stopping abruptly in the middle of the shop and Michael groaned as he walked into me. As he’d recorded most of his vocals needed for the album, despite his need to constantly strip during recording sessions, something which most of the other guys documented by posting pictures on Twitter, he’d agreed to come shopping with me to buy a few more summery clothes.

I walked around in leggings and jumpers in winter, exchanging the jumpers for baggy t-shirts when summer rolled around, and I wanted to use the money my Mum and Dad had given me for my birthday to go on a shopping spree and completely change up my wardrobe. I wanted this summer to be different to the ones before it, I didn’t just want to be boring, predictable Mikki anymore.

But what I certainly hadn’t expected was to be questioned about my dysfunctional relationship with Luke on what I thought would be a calm, carefree shopping spree with one of my closest friends.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant as I walked around the shop, glancing at a pair of Aztec print leggings. Michael grabbed my shoulders and steered me in the other direction, laughing at my cries of protest. “Mikki, you own about fifty pairs of leggings. Maybe get some shorts, like the ones we bought you for your birthday. There’s also dresses and jeans, and – wait, I’m not changing the subject and letting you get away without explaining this to me. We can talk and shop. You and Luke, what’s going on?” 

“Nothing’s going on with me and Luke,” I said feebly, walking over to the shorts and jeans section and trying to suppress a groan as I heard him following me. “Honestly, Michael, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Then maybe turn to face me, Mikki,” he chuckled, and I saw the grin on his face as I turned around, folding my arms across my chest and pouting at him. “Don’t act like you and Luke haven’t been a bit more extreme than usual.”

“Extreme?”

“It’s always extreme with you and Luke – either you’re at each other’s throats, screaming and yelling and arguing, or you’re all loved up and giggly. I might not have been friends with you and Luke before Grade 10, but I’ve seen pictures that both your parents have in your houses. Liz has got ones of you two from when you were little kids and your mum’s got ones of you from when you used to do those school shows together. Cal and Ash might’ve been asleep during the Dublin flight earlier, but I wasn’t, and I saw you two. Whispering to one another, holding hands again. What’s going on?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I protested, trying to ignore the guilt I felt, for lying to Michael of all people. Michael had always been completely honest with me about everything; I couldn’t even count the amount of nights we’d stayed up last year, eating ice cream and confessing things to one another. I’d been the first person he confided in when he slept with a number of fans and they’d exposed it on Twitter, knowing that if the others found out, they could be furious at him.

“Y’know, Mikki,” he said, folding his arms across his chest and grinning down at me. “They say there’s a fine line between love and hate.” I felt my mouth fall open in shock at what he’d said, my heart pounding in my chest. I shut it quickly, hoping he’d somehow missed what I’d just done. “Bullshit,” I said weakly, fidgeting with my hands. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I didn’t blame him; if I couldn’t convince myself, how could I expect to convince one of my best friends? “Is it though?”