The ending credits of Hairspray rolled over the television in Luka's second lounge room.
"Okay my turn to choose a movie" Luka sprang into action clambering over Philo and I to get the remote.
"What are you going to choose then?" Luka's energy doubled at the question I asked.
"Something super" Philo rolled his eyes before shooting an annoyed look in my direction.
"How super?"
"Avengers." Luka's bright blue eyes seem to get brighter as he pressed play on one of his favourite movies.
"What a massive surprise, I'm going to bed" Philo threw his end of our shared blanket in my direction before departing to the bedrooms downstairs.
"It's just you and me then" Luka mocked, faking a yawn and draping his arm over my shoulders. I laughed at him and played along resting my head on his shoulder.
The front door opened downstairs.
Both Luka and I snapped our heads in the direction of the stairs at the sound.
"Philo?" I whispered.
Luka shrugged.
"Guys, did you just go outside?" Philo's voice echoed through the otherwise silent house.
"Not Philo" Luka stood, slowly and silently making his way to the stairs.
I was unable to move, frozen with fear but I wanted so much to stop him.
"Luka" My voice was frail, barely audible.
But Luka heard, with a swift movement of his left hand he dismissed me. So hesitantly I struggled to his side, we crouched at the top of his stairs watching the hall below us with eagle eyes.
"I can't believe you actually just left" Philo swung the bedroom door open and marched into the hall, but he stopped abruptly.
He widened his eyes and started slowly stepping backwards.
It all happened so fast, the next few moments were almost a blur.
Three loud gunshots, sounding so similar to fireworks, filled the house.
Philo dropped to the floor and without thinking I rushed down the stairs and to his side.
"Clem, are you insane?" Luka ran after me, his face red with anger and concern.
Luka and I made eye contact before turning our heads in the direction of the bullets, realisation hit us, this was real.
"Who are you? Get out of my- my house?" Luka's voice was shaky, in a way I'd never heard it. He was not the confident and cocky boy that he so often was.
"Clem?" The gunned man looked in my direction. Slowly he walked towards us, "Pretty name."
Luka gripped my arm, tightening his grasp the closer the man got.
He was wearing black jeans and a black hoodie. Black gloves covered his hands and in his left a small gun. He stopped when he was about three metres from Luka and I and he crouched, much like you would when talking to a small child, and he reached his arm out. I looked at it, he wanted me to take it. I didn't want to take it.
"Come on Clem, it won't take long." I could only just see his face through the shadow casted by his black hoodie, and I made out a smile.
"Clem" Luka's hand was gripped so tightly around my arm it was beginning to hurt.
The man raised his gun to Luka's head in warning. I let my eyes travel down the man's arm, along the gun and to Luka's."I'll be alright" I assured him, even though everyone in the room knew it would be otherwise. Luka loosened his grip and let me stand. I took the man's hand and followed him into the bedroom behind us, the one Philo was just in. The twenty minutes felt like they lasted a decade. Within fifteen minutes the man had done things to me, that, at sixteen, I'd never experienced before, he had then thrown me on the floor next to Luka wearing only my underwear and shot Philo again.
Quickly Luka took his jumper off and pulled it over my head.
The man in all black, walked out of the bedroom, smiled at the three of us, shot Philo one last time in the leg and walked to the front door.
"Call the police" I chocked out.
"What do you think I was doing while you were in there" Luka's voice still only a whisper.
"Get something cloth, put pressure on the wounds to stop the bleeding" I instructed, Luka gave me a confused look.
"I watch TV Luka"
Luka stood up and stumbled towards the couch where he found two throw blankets.
He hurried back over to Philo and I and gave me one.
I applied pressure to one bullet hole on his arm and another just below his collar bone, Luka applied pressure to the wound in Philo's leg and stomach.
"Hope your mum doesn't get mad that my blood will stain the carpet" Philo chuckles, a tear falling down the side of his face.
"Don't laugh it'll make it more painful" I wipe the tear away with my thumb.
"I don't think she'll mind as long as you're alive" Luka sighs, laughing a little at the end.
All three of us let go of a breath we didn't know we were holding when we hear sirens approaching the house.
"Took their sweet ass time" Luka groans.
The police came in first, as soon as they saw the three of us sitting on the floor in the hallway they spoke into their radio, giving the all clear for the paramedics to come inside
People asked Luka and I what our names were, how old we were, where we lived, what we remembered about the intruder's appearance, then they moved on to questions about Philo, medical history we might know, whether he has any diseases or disabilities that could be a hindrance to surgery.
In all this time, no one asked whether we were okay.
They asked whether physically we had any injuries, but they didn't want to hear about how we felt.
YOU ARE READING
philo, luka & clementine
Narrativa generalea story following three teenagers as the navigate so much more that a teenager should have to navigate