Unknown

Chapter 1

The dust blew across the space between us; I stared at Luke Harris, his jaw tight, fists in tight balls at his sides making his knuckles prominent and flinched as the harshness of his words hit me...

I blinked back to reality staring at the young woman in the bathroom mirror, her turquoise coloured eyes held dark circles underneath them, her cheekbones were prominent and light freckles dotted her face here and there, her lips were dry and cracked. I felt a jolt to realise that was me and turned away from the mirror suddenly feeling self-conscious. I ran a hand through my hair, messing it up even further and left the girls bathroom inside the recording studio.
Walking down the hallway I was met with the familiar sounds of instruments being played and harmonisation of voices singing, I let the new music by Unknown – a famous Australian indie rock band who often topped the music charts in many countries and whom I along with my friends, Aiden Kade, Colin James, Braden Cellin and Luke Harris had been working for since the age of eighteen- reach my ears and smiled at the tune.

The door to the recording studio burst open, Luke stepped out as I stopped dead in my tracks, I wished for the walls surrounding us to camouflage me, my breathing heightened, it was if time had frozen he glanced at me his sapphire eyes looked upset, his shoulders slumped, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the ink stains on his fingers of sleepless nights writing music, he looked thinner somehow and as if he had chewed his fingernails in a nervous habit. I bit my lip and counted to twenty as I struggled to clear my anxiety. I breathed out a sigh of relief after a few minutes as I noticed Luke had continued walking.

"Eleanor?" A deep voice stated and my heart skipped a beat as I turned slowly to see thankfully Aiden.

"Hi" I muttered my voice cracking.

"Want to come for a walk, I need a smoke and we always have the best chats"

I nodded and followed Aiden's lanky frame out the nearest exit, and thankfully into a small cobbled courtyard that did not contain Luke Harris,
We stood in silence as Aiden lit a cigarette, and ran his hands through his already messy curly brown hair, he smiled at me and stretched slightly showing toned muscles from being a music assistant, lugging around amplifiers and musical equipment most of the day. "Luke misses you, you know that right" Aiden stated suddenly

"You can't know that" I muttered. "He can't even look at me"

"You two had a massive argument and it's been eating you up inside that I do know. He talks to Colin and I a lot, El he feels like he's lost half of his heart, we've been mates for six years Eleanor and whatever words passed between yourself and Luke those few months ago, you both need to talk it out and before you even protest I know you won't unless you are ready but your just both so stubborn"

I let Aiden's words sink in. "I feel so lost again Aiden, without Luke... I feel like I had just found my balance and now it's like glass has shattered and I can't pick up the pieces cause am too busy attempting to not have a panic attack"

"Geez El why didn't you say anything sooner" Aiden voice hitched with worry and he pulled me to his side for a hug, he smelt like smoke and mint.

"You know I'm not the best at expressing what I'm feeling" I replied. "But please don't worry about me Aiden I'll be okay."

Aiden let out a light laugh. "El were best mates worrying comes with the contract of friendship"

I smiled slightly and walked past one of the many garden beds my thoughts whirring anxiously about possibly talking to Luke, if Luke was the cat I was by certain the mouse.

...

I curled into the sheets of the bunk bed in one of the cabins we were staying in this week as Unknown finished recording their new album, before touring started next month in Melbourne.
I closed my eyes seeing Aiden reading in the small kitchen hub and hearing Colin's gentle strum of an acoustic guitar as Braden snored in the bunk below him. I attempted to clear my mind of all things related to cover images and graphic design and to finally fall into a deep sleep.

...

The car sped around the bend, headlights blinding as I heard the horrid twist of metal and then deadly silence.
I opened my eyes, my breathing heavy as cold sweat trickled down my back and tears blurred my eyes, feet tangled in the sheets, I ran my fingers through my hair harshly and attempted to focus my breathing Your okay It was just a dream I stated to myself. I slid out of the bunk bed as quietly as possible pausing when Luke moved in his bunk restlessly and rolled over his arm under his chin, his honey coloured hair mussed in sleep. I walked lightly towards the cabin door my heart still racing from my night terror, the first one I have had in months and threw on my sneakers. I had thought the nightmares were going away.

Shivering in the cool air, I walked the paths of the caravan park passing the 10 kilometre an hour sign for vehicles and rubbing at my tired eyes, I missed my parents, I missed my mum's smile and my dad's laugh but I knew that even though that car crashed killed them and destroyed me, I still had fond memories even if sometimes those memories didn't seem like they were enough and that the 15 year old girl who lost her parents was still screaming out amongst the heap of twisted metal waiting to be heard and rescued. I stumbled onto the sandy shores of the beach hearing the water splash continuously into the shoreline and sat watching the stars twinkle, just waiting for the sun to rise.

I closed my eyes and layed back in the sand letting the sounds of the ocean lull me to sleep.

"I know what I've done Colin I've sent her back into that anxious spiral!" Luke voice sounded frantic with worry, I opened my eyes blinded by sunlight and sat up dazed at the echoing of Colin and Luke's voices.

"Luke maybe you should just talk to her" Colin reassured him as I glanced around attempting to spot them, catching Luke's ripped denim jeans and messy hair, I stood up bolting for the nearest path away from where they were walking.

"I don't know if I can, I've hurt her Col, I've torn her heart in two that stupid argument I wish it never happened."

"Luke do you honestly think avoiding Ellie is the answer" Colin muttered.

"If I give her some space, it will let us both calm down, at the moment Eleanor is like a missing puzzle piece, I know where to find it if I look hard enough but somehow it is better this way lost until one day it's found."

I saw their shadows heading closer to my hiding place and bolted uncertain if I cared to hear anymore.

Reaching the cabin I was delighted to find it empty, I hurriedly grabbed a pair of ripped skinny jeans from the floor and a clean crop top from my suitcase and went into the small bathroom closing the door behind me with a bang.

...

Unknown – Places

I let out a groan as whatever font I picked never suited the possible background images for the album cover; I strummed my fingers on the tabletop and felt a hand cover mine. I looked up to meet Braden's hazel eyes, he smirked at me. "Having trouble or are your hands trying to run away?"

"Both probably" I admitted. Braden had changed a lot in the past six years, his dark brown hair was no longer long and was now cut short and styled messy, he had a rather wiry build tall and toned, and he had tattoos running up his arm to form a very artsy looking sleeve.

"Well my dear there is a saying that life is hard."

"Great advice" I muttered sarcasm thick in my voice.

"Eleanor" Brad stated his voice suddenly serious. "These past few months you've seemed even more drawn into your shell, your walls are up and I know exactly why. This is hard on Luke and I know he never meant what he said, he would never mean to hurt you as badly as he did, words can be harsh but they are a way of life. Friends fight. It's up to you both whether you decide to talk but I think that maybe Eleanor you should leave for a while, think your life through, de-stress, we know your anxious El, and seeing you hide inside yourself and your anxiety eat you up is hard."

Braden squeezed my shoulder and kissed my cheek his voice gentle than its normal fun-loving, mischievous making tone. "Ellie think about yourself and how you're feeling for once"

I nodded as Braden left the cabin stating he was going for a walk into town. I could go anywhere I wanted in the world and at any time, it was something I loved most about working for Unknown, knowing that I could see a new horizon and walk around a new town or city. But could I leave without saying goodbye?