utah || hemmings au {sequel to camp || hemmings au}

thirty-four

"I'm so proud of you," Were the first words to leave my mom's mouth as she approached me on the steps of the school, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me in for a hug. She had been telling me all day how proud she was of me for graduating, but I wasn't complaining because it was the happiest I had seen her in a long time. I was really just glad that someone was happy because I definitely wasn't. I mean, of course I was happy I was graduating, but that was the only thing.

It had been three weeks since Luke told me the truth, and I unfortunately was not getting any better. Although, Kyle and I were talking after he finally told me the truth about him and Luke; Audrey told Luke about Kyle and how she suspected he had a little crush on her (it was pretty obvious), so Luke asked Kyle to spend more time with Audrey, try to get her to fall for him while in the process he got me to fall for him again. Kyle was all for it considering that he liked her, but Audrey was so in love with Luke that things didn't go quite as they planned. Eventually, Audrey found out about Luke and from then everything seemed fine, even though it wasn't. Kyle wanted Luke to tell me, but Luke was against it. Kyle swore that he didn't know that Luke didn't really like me, and I believed him. After I thought about it, I knew that Kyle would never hurt me like that.

"Thanks," I forced a smile at her and the rest of my family as they stood in front of me. I had been moping around for the past three weeks and honestly, that was all I wanted to go home and do. Luke hadn't spoken to me, not that I had expected him to really. I thought he would at least go back to his jerk of a self and insult me when passing me in the hall, or maybe even class since we had Physical Science together, but he hadn't said one word to me.

My dad stepped forward and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "We really are proud of you." He smiled.

I nodded. "I know."

"Does this mean you're moving out now?" Dana looked up at me and cocked her head to the side. I laughed softly.

"No."

"So, you're gonna be living with us a little longer?" Halle asked. I gave her a small smile and nodded. She smiled back.

"We're going to go talk to some of your teachers, we'll be back shortly. I'm sure you want to talk to Luke, anyway." My mom placed a hand on either one of my sister's shoulders and guided them away, my dad following behind them. I hadn't told anyone that Luke and I broke up, except Kyle and Calum. Though, Calum didn't know why and I wasn't planning on telling him. I felt as if I had ruined their friendship enough already.

Kyle was the only one who didn't follow, instead he stood quietly beside me. I knew he was worried about me, he was constantly asking how I was doing and feeling. And I always told him I was fine, but he knew I wasn't.

"I haven't seen him." Kyle finally spoke. I didn't have to ask who he was talking about, I already knew. "You know, since the end of the ceremony." I shifted my gaze to him and shrugged.

"I don't want to see him." Luke didn't feel remorse for what he did, and I knew that. It was just who he was. I couldn't deny that I missed him and I still loved him, of course I did. I just knew that I had to get over him.

"He's an ass," Kyle shook his head. "You know you can do better. You deserve better." He had told me this multiple times and I'm not trying to be conceited, but I knew it was true. Luke was a dirtbag and he honestly didn't deserve me. I had given him multiple chances and put up with all of his shit and he just screwed me over.

Kyle suddenly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. It felt nice because it wasn't like the hug that my mom had just given me, it was a 'I'm here for you' hug, and I really needed one of those at the moment.