try hard // luke hemmings

Chapter Nineteen

(i was reading back and realized that i NEVER once said that they were in LA, just that they were gone oops but yes, they were in cali)

School was back to its normal self. I talked avidly to Luke, desperate for the illusion of us being friends to be real; no matter how not real it actually was. I sat with the boys at lunch, ignoring Charlie's wave over to his table.

"How was L. A?" I asked politely, popping open my can of Snapple I bought at the vending machine. "How'd you know we were in Los Angeles?" Calum asked, tipping back the remains of his water bottle. "No one was supposed to know where we left to." I shrugged, seemingly un-bothered. "Y'all were gone for some time and I thought, where does a band who's made it big go when they're not here? Los Angeles was the obvious answer."

"She's smart, this one," Ashton said with a grin, elbowing Luke's side. Luke rolled his eyes, shoving him back. "It was great, nonetheless. Pretty girls too."

I sipped my Snapple from the straw, a sad smile on my lips. There is no doubt in my mind that Luke saw many beautiful girls in California and now that the other three were back to tall about them, he would forget about me.

It's amazing how quickly one's mood can go down the drain.

But then again, it could go back to
lollipops and rainbows with just one smile from Luke. He was so beautiful, so kind. Well, sometimes.

But, how could he care for someone like me? I don't even care for someone like me. If I saw someone like me in the streets, in school, anywhere, I'd be disgusted.

I stood up, taking my bag and Snapple with me. "Hey, where are you going?" Luke asked, looking up from Calum's phone. "I'll be back," I lied. "Just going to visit the ladies room."

He nodded, and I slung my backpack over my shoulder, walking away from the bathrooms and towards the bleachers.

I ducked under the metal risers and searched the limited crowd for Charlie, who had escaped from the cafeteria.

I soon found him, passing a bottle filled with a clear liquid to the boy next to him. I approached, taking the seat next to him. "Hey! It's Chey!" he said, followed by rambunctious laughter. after noticing he rhymed.

Whatever was in that bottle had him whipped.

"Charlie. How ya doing?" I ask. "I'm great, fabulous, super-cali-frac-alistic-expi-ali-docous!"

Jesus Christ what was he drinking. I took the bottle from the pudgy kid and sniffed. "Charlie is this just straight alcohol?" I sniffed again. "Moonshine. This is moonshine ain't it?"

Charlie only nodded, snatching the bottle back and tilting the liquid down his throat.

He had to be drinking it for a while to
be this drunk. I gently pried the bottle from his hand and told the chubby kid to scram, taking a seat next to Charlie all the while.

"Hey, Char. What's up?" I asked.

"You know Cheyanne, that day you were over at my house? The first time I met you? I wanted to bed you so hard." he slurred, catching me by surprise.

"But then you fell asleep and you looked so cute and I said to myself, 'nah, this cutie is gonna be my baby sister and i'm going to take care if her'. But then I saw you again at Cici's and felt a feeling one should not feel for a little sister."

As he was talking, he laid his hand on my shoulder. "And theeeeeeen, when you were tripping about going to the moon, you were once again my little sister and nothing's going to change that."

I let him finish before slowly breaking into laughter. I stood him up on his shaky feet and said, "C'mon Charlie, let's get you home before you end up puking in your next class."