Not Fine at All (Luke Hemmings a.u.)

Chapter 5

A/N

Just a quick explanation of why Calum keeps narrating the story: No, this is not going to turn into some Calucey fanfic, in case you were wondering. Calum just provides a kind of outsider's point of view that provides some insight into the story without getting emotionally involved, while also serving as a mediator between Luke and Lucey. (Lukey?) As soon as Lucey starts opening up more and giving some details of her own, the story will mostly shift to just their two pov's. Calum is just helping the story along for the time being.

CALUM'S POV

It had been nearly a week since I had first brought Lucey home, and things between her and Luke were still not as friendly as I would have liked them to be. They talked civilly and were never rude to one another, but I could tell that neither of them felt right when they were together. And I couldn't help but notice that both of them seemed so sad whenever they thought no one was looking.

As far as Luke went, this didn't come as a huge shock for me. He hadn't been quite the same since Lucey had left, and he was always going through these crazy mood swings like it was his job. It drove us all nuts, but we'd just learned to accept it.

Lucey, on the other hand, seemed oddly out of character from how I remembered her. Sure, it was only a slight difference, and she had always been a bubble off to begin with, but I was sure that whatever was wrong with her was a result of whatever she wasn't telling us, whatever had happened in those eighteen months she was gone. It was just little things here and there that hinted toward a real problem. Like the way she never seemed to sleep for very long anymore, for example. She would take several short power naps throughout the day, but then she'd be up all night with the lights on in her room like a child afraid of the dark. Then there was the way that she flinched whenever someone close to her moved too quickly, like she was afraid she'd get hit if she didn't get out of the way fast enough. There were a few more minor quirks I saw, but the strangest of all had to be the one I observed yesterday when Kelsey was visiting.

Kelsey was my girlfriend who I'd only been dating for about two months, and we introduced her to Lucey when she dropped in to visit a couple days after the night at the bus stop. They seemed to hit it off with each other, so I explained the situation to her as best as I could and she really seemed to want to help out. She offered to bring over some extra clothes she had so that Luce didn't have to trudge around in my baggy sweats anymore, since that was awkward for all of us.

She brought over this whole collection of stuff, with clothes for about every season and occasion one could possibly need clothes for. Where she got all of it, I had no idea, but I was glad she was so willing to share. We both helped Lucey pack the clothes into the closet and dresser in her bedroom, making sure to leave all of the summer clothes in the top drawer where she could find them easily. That's where it got sketchy. Kelsey had left an abundant supply of shorts, tank tops, and crop tops that she thought Lucey might like, but since that Tuesday, Lucey had worn only sweaters and jeans every single day.

Now, I'm not at all trying to claim that I can comprehend any part of the female mind, but wouldn't it make sense to wear summer clothes in the summer and winter clothes in the winter? That can't just be me, can it? Anyway, despite all of the stuff Kelsey had left her, Lucey insisted on bundling up no matter how hot it was. Granted, Lucey had always been a bit self-conscious of her body, but never to the extent of sacrificing her bright and flirty look to cover up every inch of exposed skin like some overly committed nun. Maybe I shouldn't have thought anything of it, but I was worried she was hiding something. Between the sleeplessness and the clothes, only a few solutions seemed plausible, and I wasn't ready to believe that she a vampire just yet. 

Either way, I had my suspicions but I didn't want to push her on it and I didn't have a lot of time to think about it anyway since I was trying to get things ready for tonight. Ashton and Michael had suggested that we go visit the beach, and I agreed that that would be an excellent idea. I knew Lucey wasn't real big on having to be in an awkward social setting with people that she thought might be mad at her (though I assured her otherwise), so instead of inviting the boys over, I figured going out and doing something would add more of a lighthearted atmosphere and prevent us from being trapped in the close quarters.