Hard to Speak || l.h.

Five

         A few days later, the boys called me up. They gave me the update on what was happening in Sydney, which I only half listened to, and I gave them the update on New York.

            "So there's a girl!" Calum exclaimed when I tried to hurry through mentioning I went on a date. Ashton and Michael both muttered "Ooooo" into the speaker. I ran a hand through my hair, pacing through my room.

            "What's her name?" Ashton asked immediately, while Michael asks, "Is she hot?"

            I didn't answer either of them. "Look, I haven't even talked to her since Saturday," which was true. Raine hadn't even been on her fire escape to watch the sunset since then.

            "I'm sure she wants you, Luke," Michael said reassuringly, which, unsurprisingly, didn't reassure me at all. There was a knock on my door, and I said bye to the boys before jogging over to answer it. I pulled open the door expecting Raine, but instead there stood a girl with curly blonde hair.

            "Hi Luke!" she greeted me with a big smile. I stared at her for a second, utterly confused.

            "I'm sorry," I said, looking up and down the hallway. "But I have no idea who you are."

            The girl pushed past me to walk in my apartment. I remained at the door. She looked over my apartment before spinning back to face me. "I'm the best friend."

            I had only heard of one of Raine's friends. "Marnie?"

            She nodded and fluttered her fingers at me. "Hello!"

            I nodded slowly as well, slightly less confused. "And you're here because…?"

            "I'm here to make sure you don't screw over Raine," she said matter-of-factly.

            I blinked. "I'm not going to screw over Raine."

            "That's what she thought, but I had to come over and find out for myself," Marnie walked back out the  door, patting my chest on the way out. Before she turned the corner at the end of the hallway, she spun back to face me. "Don't mess around with her, Luke. She hasn't dated in over a year and you're her second chance."

            I watched the bouncy curls turn and disappear. Now I was confused again.

            Two hours later, I had summoned up the courage to go to Raine's door, where I stood for a good minute before being able to knock on it.

            "Just a second!" she yelled from inside, and I bounced on my toes slightly, wanting to abort. Finally she swung open the door, clad in the oversized hoodie and some leggings. "Oh," she gasped when she saw me. "Luke, hey."

            I smiled slightly. "I was just wanting to see if I could take you up on that blueberry frozen yogurt."

            There's her smile. "Come on in," she laughed, moving aside. I stepped awkwardly into her apartment, looking around at the neatness of it as opposed to mine. There was a white couch on the opposite side of where the one was in my apartment, and I'll have to admit that it looked like something in a magazine. "Sorry it's a mess," she said, moving the newspaper and some magazines off the couch.

            "Well, I'm glad you didn't come over to my house," I laughed, turning to look at her.

            "I thought you were the pizza guy," she pulled the sleeves of her hoodie down over her hands and tapped the tip of her toe on the ground.