Imagination || L.H.

Chapter 8

Luke has just enough time to change into one of the T-shirts he brought with him from home before Calum's mom gets home, her arms laden with plastic grocery bags straining to hold the weight of the food inside. 

When she spots me and Luke sitting in the living room, her whole face lights up in a brilliant smile. 

"Kat!" she says happily. "I'm so glad you're back! Are you kids hungry? I can whip you up something to eat in just a few minutes. Calum, Mali, if one of you could help me with the groceries? And then..." 

She trails off as her eyes zero in on the bandage covering the newly obtained stitches in Luke's temple. 

"What on earth happened?!" Joy Hood exclaims, rushing over to the sofa, motherly concern written all across her face.

Mali Koa stands up and silently slides out the door to get the rest of the bags from the car, abandoning Cal to the wrath of their mother.

Calum shoots his sister's retreating form a dirty look. "Mum, I didn't want you to freak out-"

"Well, what does it look like I'm doing, Calum?" Joy cups Luke's cheek in her hand, carefully turning his head to the side. 

Luke does his best to cover up his slight wince of pain at being handled by someone else, despite how gentle she's trying to be. 

"Are those stitches?!"  she screeches, her voice creeping up an octave at the end. 

Whirling on her son, Joy shakes a scolding finger. "Calum, you and I are going to have a long talk later and I promise that you won't enjoy a second of it."

Flinching at her tone, Cal hangs his head.

"It's not his fault," Luke blurts out suddenly. 

Every eye in the room flickers to him. 

He shifts his weight on the couch nervously, reaching up to rake a hand through his hair. My eyes dart to the section of his golden blond hair that is now temporarily stained red. 

"I told him not to tell you, because I knew that you would tell my parents." Luke's voice catches on the mention of his parents but he pushes through it. "I'm sorry."

Calum's mom sets a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, sweetie, I understand not wanting to... put more pressure on that situation." 

She lightly dances around the subject of his family, expertly changing the topic to something less dangerous. I wonder if Liz is mad at her for taking Luke in. 

"Why don't you guys watch a movie or something and I'll get some food ready?" Joy suggests. "That sound like a plan?" 

All three of us nod, settling back down onto the couch. 

"Great." Joy ruffles Cal's hair on her way to the kitchen, starting the process of unloading the grocery bags and putting the items where they belong.

Mali comes back in with the last of the bags not much later, throwing out helpful movie suggestions while she works to get dinner ready. The smell of the cooking food reminds me of my own family and I shoot my mom a text to tell her that I'll be back later than expected, but not to worry.

The movie is a mindless comedy, my favorite kind of movies. I laugh at every joke, but my heart doesn't really feel into it. I'm exhausted. I went to work, swam in the ocean, one of my friends almost died and watched said friend get stitches. That's way more action than I'm used to in a single day and, even with the nap I took in the car, I feel drained. 

Luke must feel similarly because he's out like a light about twenty minutes into the movie and I'm seriously considering joining him. His head droops down so that his chin is low enough to just barely brush his chest. 

I sink further down into the couch, trying to focus on the movie, but I can't seem to keep my eyes open any longer. 

*

When I wake, hushed voices are speaking over the muted chatter of the TV. 

My eyes flutter open, taking in the blanket someone must have draped across my body at some point. The blanket stretches to cover Luke as well, since somehow, my head ended up using his shoulder as a pillow rest.

"... getting better, but it's hard to tell," Calum's voice says in a murmur. 

His words float towards me from the kitchen. 

"He seemed fine today, but yesterday he was a complete wreck. I heard crashes and opened his door to find that he smashed the glass on the picture frame of him and his family. He was obviously intoxicated, but he wasn't that far gone at all. I cleaned the glass up and picked the shards from his hands but I didn't know what else to do."

It's not hard to pinpoint the object of their discussion: Luke. 

I frown. I hadn't noticed the cuts on his hands when I held them earlier. 

With careful movements designed not to wake Luke up and to keep Calum from discovering that I wasn't asleep anymore, I inspect the unconscious boy's hands. Sure enough, they're littered with small cuts most likely left by bits of broken glass. 

I go to drop his hand, but his finger suddenly spring open and capture mine. 

Startled, I look up and meet eyes bluer than any other I've ever glimpsed before. He glances back down at our clasped hands, turning them over. I'm too surprised to move.

"Maybe this is the kind of incentive he needs to quit," Joy says softly. 

I feel Luke stiffen beside me as he realizes what the Hoods are talking about in the kitchen. 

"I know this has been going on for quite some time now," Calum's mom murmurs, "but it wasn't a gradual thing. When he started drinking last summer, he wasn't playing around with the stuff. There was a reason behind it and I'm sure there's been reasons since to continue."

I sneak a look at Luke to find his eyes closed in the manner of someone who's hearing something he really doesn't want to. His jaw is clenched tightly, the muscles straining with the effort. 

Although every other part of him seems to be tense, the hand wrapped loosely around mine is gentle.

Calum is the next to speak up. "Maybe he just likes the chaos it causes. The way it slowly tears up people and relationships. Look what happened with his family, his girlfriend-"

Before Calum can get another word out, Luke's on his feet, ripping his hand from mine savagely. I twist to peer over the couch, heart pounding with a mix of fear, dread and surprise. 

Luke's normally calm blue eyes have become a wall of brilliantly colored steel, blazing with a fire contained within. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides, the scabbed over cuts jumping out against his white knuckles. 

The three family members gathered around the kitchen island stare at him in shock, but he doesn't even seem to care.

"Don't pretend like you know me," Luke spits at Calum with a raged-filled tone that sends shivers down my spine. 

In all the years that I've known him, I haven't once heard him use that tone. Calum flinches from the venom in his voice, the look of unchecked anger and accusation in burning in his eyes. 

"You don't know the half of it," Luke continues icily. "So don't talk to me about what you think goes on in my mind, because you have no idea what I'm really dealing with. No one does." 

He locks eyes with each person in the room, his gaze softening ever so slightly when he meets mine. Spinning on his heel, he stalks out of the front door, slamming it viciously behind him.

xx

Ooooh things are getting spicyyyyy!

What do you think the reason is behind Luke's actions? I'd love to hear what you think!

Vote and comment for me please!!! <33

- A