Eighteen

Second Encounter

"Eighteen" by HeyItsVegas

Second Encounter.

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“She's just a little bit older.

 but I want to get to know her.”

-18, 5 Seconds of Summer

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Luke walked out of his first day of senior year happier than he ever imagined he would be.

He’d ended up bonding with Mikey, Calum, and Ashton very quickly, as they all had a lot in common. They’d discovered they liked many of the same bands, and even all played an instrument. It seemed like an incredible stroke of luck to Luke that they’d all managed to end up at the same school.

When his mum picked him up from school, she saw him waving goodbye to the other three boys and was grinning when he got into the car. “Are those your friends?” She asked, craning her neck to get a better look. “Yeah, they’re all from Australia too, and they like the same music as me,” he said.

“How lovely,” his mum said, pulling away from the curb. “See, you’ve been worried about living here all this time for nothing. It’s going to be a wonderful year for you.”

He nodded noncommittally and put in his headphones, even though he felt the same way.

They pulled into their neighborhood ten minutes later, and suddenly Summer came crashing back into his mind like a freight train.

She cannot see me getting driven around by my mum, he thought, horrified at what she would say or think. He ducked down in his seat, eyes glued to her driveway. His mum glanced over and raised an eyebrow. “Luke, what are you…?”

“Shh, just pretend I’m not here,” he said quickly.

She shrugged but did as he said, pulling into the driveway. Summer’s BMW was nowhere in sight, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He grabbed his backpack and dashed inside after his mum, into the kitchen.

“Ducking down wouldn’t have done much for you, whatever you were trying to hide from,” his mum said matter-of-factly. “Your hair sticks up over the dash like a shark fin.”

Luke rolled his eyes but laughed. “Ha ha, and no, I’m not getting a haircut.”

She pursed her lips and was evidently about to fight him about it when Luke’s phone vibrated from its spot on the counter. Seeing it as a savior from his mum, he picked it up. It was Ashton.

Video games at my house in 20 minutes! Cal and Mikey will be here too.

Luke told his mum, and she looked overjoyed. “Yes, of course you can go! Do you need me to drive you?” He internally cringed and decided he really needed to get his own car.

He got the address, and it turned out Ashton only lived two blocks away. “I’ll just skateboard over,” Luke said, and began to shed his flannel. It was much too hot out to keep it on, especially if he was walking. His mum’s eyes glanced over his tattooed arms.

“You hid those all day?” She asked.

“Not hiding… I think I should slowly ease people into who I really am,” he said, “I already got enough dirty looks for the lip ring and the all black… everything.”

She sighed. “I told you you’d regret…”

“I don’t regret a thing,” he said, immediately, really not needing to have the tattoo talk with his mum right now. “I’ve gotta go mum, don’t wanna be late.”  

He started out the garage door after giving his mum a quick kiss on the cheek. “Be home before 10,” she called as the door shut behind him.

He grabbed his skateboard from beside the door and walked into the late-afternoon California sunshine, and closed his eyes for a moment. It felt like back home, and he soaked in the sun for a moment before hearing someone call his name. “Luke? Are you okay?”

Jumping a bit, he saw Summer leaning over her fence looking concerned. She was in a short floral skater dress, a little pink sweater despite the heat, and a pretty smile. “Oh! Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, after recovering from her appearance. “Just… enjoying the sun, actually.”

She looked surprised, then smiled. “Oh. It is lovely, isn’t it? It’s like this all year round, too. How was the weather back in Australia? Similar to this, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah,” he said. “A lot like this.” He was quiet for a moment before saying, “I was worried about moving here for a while, but everything seems like it’s going to work out.”

Summer smiled, “I’m glad you think so. California really is the best place in the world, I’m sure it will grow on you even more.”

He smiled over at her. “I’m sure it will, too.”

He could’ve sworn a blush colored her cheeks. Before she could reply, an annoyed woman’s voice called from inside the house, “Summer! Where are you?”

“Ah, my roommate,” she said, and gave a weak smile. “Better go, she’s a beast if you keep her waiting. Bye, Luke.” She paused for a moment, and her eyes made an appreciative sweep over his tattooed arms, lingering despite her farewell.

“See ya, Summer,” he said, surprised he, LUKE, had made his dream woman flustered. A brunette woman had come to the door to see what was taking so long, and her eyes immediately locked on Luke. Luke stared right back.

The brunette was wearing black distressed jean shorts and a black tank top, and had two full sleeves of tattoos and an unattractive air of superiority. This was Summer’s roommate? He’d imagined someone… different?

Like, really different. 

Summer followed his gaze and cringed a bit. “Okay, bye,” she said again, and turned to go. Her sweater slipped off her shoulder for just a second, and he was shocked when it revealed nasty bruises blossoming over her arm and shoulder. She pulled it quickly back up, clearly embarrassed.

“Woah, are you alright?” he asked. “That looks painful.” When she turned back to him, fear was clearly showing in her green eyes. “I-it’s nothing.”

She nearly ran to reach the front stoop, her roommate began to whisper excitedly into her ear with a scowl, and the two girls went inside. He turned away and began the walk to Ashton’s, still wondering what was up with Summer’s roommate.

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To be continued....

Hey guys! Just so you know I'm a full time college student with three jobs, so I don't get to update as much I'd like. I'll aim to update weekly, probably on saturday or sunday. I WILL be updating as often as I can! Thanks for all your reads so far... Vote, follow, and comment your theories! 

Vegas x