Insomnia - luke hemmings

2.3

S U M M E R

Excitement is all I feel. This is technically me and Luke's second date, and of course it's with Crystal and Michael. I'm not too dressed up because we're just catching a movie and getting some pizza, but I still wanted to look cute. So here I am in Lukes truck with my most expensive jeans, Calvin Klein shoes, and a yellow hoodie.

"Are you going the right way." I ask suspiciously, staring around the area.

"Yeah babe, I know where I'm going." Luke sighs. I know he's tired because we spent the whole night on FaceTime. I'm tired too but my tiredness will just turn into external energy. Unlike the man beside me that just gets grouchy.

I sit quiet and listen to the buzz of the radio to pass the time till we're parked in front of the pizzeria. It's very classy looking and warm feeling. Luke takes my hand and guided us inside to the waitress. "Hi, how many?" The older woman smiles.

"Actually we're meeting someone here... Clifford?" He bites his lip and scans the restaurant.

"Oh yes! Follow me." I give Luke a little tug on the arm. Him and I trail behind the waiter as she leads us to Crystal and Michael.

Crystal instantly shoots up and grabs me into a hug. She seems like a kind girl, but familiar. I'm glad Michael has someone. "You look amazing." I compliment staring down her long thin body. She wore white jeans with a light grey sweater with some brown sandals.

"Thank you. So do you." She smiles back at me and then turns to Luke, giving him a small hug. I do the same to Michael, and we slide into the booth—Crystal and Mikey across from Luke and I.

I search through the menu by staring over Luke's shoulder. "You alright?" I murmur into his ear. He seemed on edge.

"Fine." We all know what that means. I choose to ignore his sour mood though and instead decide that I want a chicken wrap.

"Okay I have a question, and I don't know if it's okay or not..." Crystal starts off.

"Whatever you want to ask." I realize I put on my fake smile. Hopefully Luke doesn't pin me down for it later.

"Well, I think I knew your brother." My heart seems to stop for a minute and my face turns red. This girl is only three years older then me. Seventeen when Kai died. How would she know him?

"You knew Kai?" Luke seems to feel like he can take this from me. My brothers name is not one I like to repeat. It just reminds me of the pain my family went through, losing him.

"Yes, Kai! That was his name. He was such a good dude." She smiled at the reminding of him.

"What a small world." Michael laughs, he doesn't know my brothers dead.

I choke back all the need to sob. "How'd you know Kai?"

"I was there when he overdosed." No.

"Uhm..." I look at Luke and all I want him to see is that I need out. "I have to grab some air, please."

Luke looks frustrated with me, but let's me out of the booth. I can't help but begin the tears as I walk out of the restaurant. All I can do is walk and I can't stop. Crystal is now too much for me, she reminds me to much of Kai and the sadness around his name.

I find myself on the bus. Then I'm in Beverly Hills. Then I'm home. Now I'm on my room.

The shoebox under my bed holds all the photos of me and my brother. I pull it out and scatter the few photos onto my comforter. I miss being little with him. Running around our house playing tag, watching Disney, and getting into little fights.

My phone screams from my pocket. Luke is calling me and I easily answer. "Summer, where the fuck are you?"

"I'm sorry, it was too much." I sob into the line. "I left."

"Fuck Summer, why'd you pull this shit!" He yells a whisper.

I make a face, what's his issue? "I said I'm sorry."

"We were supposed to be normal, and go on a nice date. I'm sorry your brothers dead but you need to move on, you can't pull shit like that because Crystal knew him!" I hear the car start and his voice is booming. I don't need this from him. His attitude does not attract me in the least bit.

"You don't get it Luke! I was never able to have peace. He should've never died." I sniffle and watch a tear fall onto the photograph of me and Kai as toddlers. Maybe I am overreacting, but I can't change that all now.

"Whatever Summer. You can't tell me I don't get it when I went trough the same thing with my father."

"I'm sorry."

I cry and drop my phone onto the bed. Luke hangs up, I know he does. My bathroom has always been comforting. Small, quiet, a good place to think things out. I search the cabinets for some kind of fix. Something that'll take the pain away.

There's an old prescription of pain killers in the back. I grab three and down them each with water from the sink. Maybe this will take it all away.