Chills | l.h

Chapter 3 | Jack

Being a single parent is

Twice the work,

Twice the stress,

And twice the tears

But also

Twice the hugs,

Twice the love and

Twice the pride

-Unknown

~~

After half an hour of whining and apologising, I finally started to wrap Luke's knuckles with a bandage to keep the cuts clean.

"Thanks." he said slightly embarrassed in himself, averting his gaze to the ground.

"Ditto." I replied honestly, meaning about how he beat up those guys earlier.

Well, tried.

"What time is it?" Luke says, looking up to my eyes.

"About 6 o'clock." I answer checking my watch that I always wear, I never take it off, it's waterproof so I don't bother when it rains or when I take a shower.

Luke's body tenses and stands up from the toilet lid, before dragging me down the plain hallway into a room, it has a bed and a bunch of band posters with a laptop in the corner and a familiar acoustic guitar leaning against it.

That was the guitar from the picture on the wall.

I'm torn from my thoughts when I hear the front door opening down the corridor and Luke turns to me, eyes looking straight in my eyes, a serious emotion forms.

"Stay in here." he tells me firmly pressing a finger to his lips to indicate I had to be quiet, before vacating the room and closing the door.

I take a seat on the bed, my eyes scanning the room and walls. I read the poster names and to no surprise.

Green Day.

Sleeping With Sirens.

Blink-182.

"Typical teenage boy." I think to myself and stand up from the bed and hear a few muffled voices in the other room. I decide to try out his guitar.

He won't mind right?

I mean, I'll only play quietly.

I carefully take the guitar with me as I sit back down on the bed. It's been kept in condition that's for sure. I softly play the cords to check if it's in tune, which they are. I look at the scribbles of permanent marker he has put on the surface, writing lyrics I suppose.

Be brave.

Be strong.

Be yourself.

Be happy.

Four lyrics are written on its surface, all different handwriting too. I place the guitar on the space of the rest of the bed as I start to hear footsteps quickly making their way towards the room. I start to panic.

Will Luke be mad at me for touching his guitar?

Did he hear me playing it?

So I stand from the bed and stand in the middle of the room, preparing for the worst, but instead of Luke coming into the room, someone else enters.

They were tall, much older then Luke but had similar features.

Blonde hair.

Blue eyes.