boys will be boys ✰ 5sos

four

"she goes to school with a busted mouth in high school and says she was hit with a basketball instead of his fist

the one adult she tells scolds her

'you know he loses his temper easily

why the hell did you have to provoke him?'"

-

Iris rushes down the school hallway with a wide smile, it's her first day of 11th grade and she has just spotted Luke in the crowd of teenagers. Her hands reach for his shoulders as she yells "Boo!" loud enough to make him jump from the scare.

He turns around and his whole face lights up from seeing Iris even though it's only been three days since they've hung out. His long arms engulf her in a hug and she giggles into his side, the memories from three nights ago rushes in.

They had sat on the ground of his unfinished basement those few nights ago. The concrete floors were sleek and cold under her lightly tanned legs that were covered with goosebumps. He built up the courage in a moment of silence. He did it in the middle of a silence. It was short and quick, but to this day it was the best kiss he's ever had. Not even counting Sarah back in tenth grade who was way out of his league. Iris was lost in her words and Luke was lost in her.

After Luke had pulled back from her and saw the empty in her eyes, all he could do was stay quiet. Iris had no words either, she sat and stared at his lips that had just touched hers. He liked her soft lips that gently pressed back onto his. That day he discovered that when being that close to Iris, he could smell the hint of vanilla and sweet roses that secretly lingered on her.

Iris liked Luke in the minute and she wanted to kiss him again. She convinced herself it was because she had been missing the boy she recently ended things with, Ashton. Ashton's pretty brown hair lightened in the summer and he had a perfect smile and was interested in the world. Luke knew about the on and off duo, he was constantly hearing stories about them getting drunk in his mom's house and playing board games until they passed out. It wasn't Luke's preferred conversation topic, but he accepted it because he adored hearing Iris talk.

She pulled back from Luke's arms and looked around the hallway for any of their friends.

"Iris?"

She looked up at the sound of her name and flinched as Luke brought a quick hand to her face. Her eyes shut for a mere second then opened to find him looking right pass her happy facade with a light hand on her chin.

"What happened to your lip?" Luke asked this out of his own nosiness and worry. Iris simply moved his hand from her face.

"I got hit with a basketball."

She laughed at her lie, flashing her crooked smile at the boy. He asked the same thing again and all she could do was look at the ground from the nervous nausea building up in her stomach.

She had no answer. Luke subconsciously knew that.

The makeup over her chin and the lipstick covering her split lip could not hide the less obvious damage. It could not hide the hole in her heart and it could not hide the darkness hiding behind her cracked soul.

Luke felt his stomach drop and, oh, how he wished he could kiss her lips just once more. He wanted to show her that he could mend her back together even though she doesn't know she has fallen apart yet.

"You need to tell someone," He whispered to her, speaking only from concern. Luke was only 17. He had never dealt with this. Perhaps he was afraid of what Ashton would do if he told, but he was more afraid if Iris didn't tell.

Iris nodded at his soft and cracked voice as she felt that she had enough. Seeing Luke broken was not what she wanted, especially on her first day of eleventh grade.

She headed to the counselor's office, not caring that she was missing first period. One detention was not comparable to one more hit. She pushed the door open and set her things aside in the burgundy outdated chair, her hands shaking and heart pounding from all of the thoughts about how this could end.

Iris spoke to the older woman for maybe two minutes until she stopped herself. The counselor shook her head at her foolishness.

"You know he loses his temper easily." She was told.

"Why did you have to provoke him?" She was asked.

All Iris could do was sit and shake her head, wondering why she even thought to bring it up. She made him angry and she deserved it. She told Ashton that Luke had kissed her and he had every right to be angry, especially when he called because he wanted to mend their broken relationship. The pain was worth the love. The long nights of love making and long days of yelling, it was all because she wanted him and he wanted her. He was worth fighting for, literally.

Ashton was confused between love and sex which is why he stayed with her. Long heated fights turned into long heated sex and he only wondered what was next. He took out his anger on Iris because he believed he loved her and always thought she would stay, but getting from point A to point B with her would include a bruise, a scratch, an imprint of some sort.

It wasn't his fault, Iris told herself. She didn't like the swollen lips from his hands, but the ones from his lips. When he wasn't angry, he was everything she's ever wanted and maybe more. Or so she believed.