CHANGE - Book 1 (A Luke Hemmings Fanfiction)

Chapter 26

~~~ Chapter 26 ~~~ Aimee's POV

Luke hasn't called me all day.

He hasn't even sent a text.

I know his phone was dead but... He could at least have somehow got through to me.

I'd been waiting for hours, doing housework before my parents arrived, gone down to the shops to get some food for tomorrow... But I was worried.

Something, although I couldn't put my finger on it, wasn't right.

After sitting on the couch biting my nails nervously for half an hour, I grabbed a black hoodie and pulled it on.

I was wearing blue denim jeans and a white t-shirt that said 'Dream Forever' on it and pulled on some white Vans.

I left the house, closing the door behind me and a light breeze hit me and I realised that Autumn was arriving.

I walked down my road, watching orange leaves fall to the ground as the sun burned softly in a grey blue sky.

My feet carried me over the bridge towards Luke's house.

I stood opposite the house for a few moments, just staring at it. There were no cars there. His parents were out.

I knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

My mind was frantically wondering where Luke was and whether he was okay.

Being the stalker I am, I waited in the trees opposite his house for a while, seeing if he'd come back, listening to the sound of kookaburra's laughing overhead. It felt like they were laughing at me.

I gave up a while later and began walking down his road, away from the springs.

I was so confused. Where was Luke?

Had he gone out with his parents? I thought they worked on a Saturday so I guess not...

***

I had walked around Luke's neighbourhood for over an hour. I had seen no sign of Luke although one thing did catch my eye.

I had been walking along by the trees and I had seen a small wooden bridge cutting into the woods, going over a tiny stream. It looked creepy down there but maybe that's where Luke had gone

I hastily ran over the bridge (I didn't like bridges) and found myself at the start of a path that wound through the woods.

I followed the path, my heart beating a little unsteadily and the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

Suddenly, the path opened out, and I found myself standing at the gate of...

A graveyard?

Shocked, I looked down to see a footprint in a patch of muddy path, that looked like a boys. A boy of sixteen...

I opened the gate and walked in, bowing my head in respect for all the resting people.

And then I saw Luke.

He was crouched under a willow tree. His head was rested back against the trunk and his eyes were closed.

I walked over slowly, uncertainly.

I stopped when I reached him, to see tears on his cheeks, and hear him sob.

"Luke?" I said, my voice barely a whisper.

He didn't reply. I sat down on the grass next to him and rested a hand on his arm. He was wearing his leather jacked and black jeans and looked flawless as usual, even in this state.

Luke's head moved slightly, and I felt hurt when he pulled away.

I swallowed. "Luke... Tell me what's wrong?"

He shook his head slightly, and lifted his white t-shirt up.

Blood was welling out of a long gash on his side, and a small blade was in his other hand.

I put a hand over my mouth, gasping.

"W-why?" I asked, my own tears pooling at the bottom of my eyes.

He pointed to a headstone.

It read:

In loving memory of Miley Renee Jenson,

A daughter, a granddaughter and a loved one,

Died Age 14 , forever in out hearts.

So this was Luke's girlfriend? I got up and touched the head stone, silently thanking her for the joy she had brought Luke when she had been alive.

I let some tears fall. Luke was so broken.

He'd lost his only love- and he was trying to move on, for me.

I sat back down next to him and wrapped an arm around him, burying my head into his shoulder. He didn't pull away but he didn't move, just stared into nothing.

"Luke?"

He let out a sigh.

"It's gonna be okay."