Again | Luke Hemmings

xii

Another two weeks have passed since Luke came over. Exams are over and there wasn't much to do.

He has crossed my mind more than once and it was starting to bother me.

I've been going to parties with Bailey these past few days. Only to watch her though.

"Let's just stay in today." Bailey announced to nobody in particular. Wow, that's a first.

She came over not too long ago, wearing her blue sailor pajamas and brought lots of food.

"Who are you and what have you done to the real Bailey?" I joked, lazily bumping my shoulder with hers.

"I killed her." She played along.

"How dare you murder my best friend!" I laughed, reaching over for a bag of cheetos.

"I just felt like it." She shrugs, eating her pringles.

We surfed through a few channels and just decided on watching a movie.

"I'll pick!" Bailey exclaimed, running towards the drawer full of movies that I owned.

"Never in my life have I watched a movie with you so I'll pick." Bailey says while looking through the movies in hand.

"Okay." I rolled my eyes jokingly.

"How do you feel about 21 Jumpstreet?"

"I never watched it." I admit.

"Are you serious?" She sighed, "You own a DVD copy of the movie and you're telling me you never watched it?"

"Yes...?" I say, unsure.

"Well," A smile covers her lips. "I'll set this all up and you prepare the popcorn."

"But we have enough food here." I whine.

"Popcorn." She stated.

"Fine." I sighed and stood up to go to my kitchen.

I waited for the popcorn and look out the small window. It showed a view of the city and it was definitely a sight to see.

Thunder suddenly boomed and I jumped in surprise, the rain started to pour after and the city was now blurred.

"This is the perfect weather!" Bailey shouted over the loud rain and thunder.

"I know!" I say sarcastically and laughed.

"The movie is done. And you?" She shouts again.

"A few more minutes." I responded after a while.

"You are going to love this movie." Bailey sits down beside me on the couch and we settle as the introduction plays.

As soon as the introduction ends, there was a knock on the door.

"Who the hell is that?" Bailey groans.

"Must be Dave?" I shrugged. Dave is the building's mailman.

"I'll go check." She says and rewinds the movie, pausing it.

I sit in silence, eating some of the popcorn that I was holding.

"You can't come in here... That's none of your business... Just go." Who is Bailey talking to?

Somehow I knew.

"Joey!" Bailey calls . . . or groans.

I get up from my seat and walked over to the front door. There I was standing with the door wide enough and Luke Hemmings standing outside. Nothing unusual about that.

"You talk to him." Bailey grunts and left the two of us alone. The sound of the door slamming shut signals that she went in my room.

I look at him. He was drenched from the heavy rain, the black shirt he was wearing stuck to his body. His hair was flat. Droplets could be seen falling down his chin and onto the carpeted floor of the hallway.

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you."

What?

"About what?" My voice was suddenly hoarse.

"Things." He hugs his torso and I realize that it's raining and at the same time freezing with the aircon of the hallway.

"Do you want to come inside?" I ask in the most polite tone I can do.

"It's okay." He smiles.

Here he is freezing to death and he refuses my not-so-genuine offer.

"Luke, it's cold out. Come in." I was getting more irritated by the second.

"Okay." He looked down and entered my apartment.

I leave him to stand there to get a towel. I don't want him ruining the wooden floor. As rude and selfish as that sounded, a very very small part of me cared for him.

"Here." I tossed him a towel once I got back from the guest room.

He dried himself. I admit that this is something I could watch forever.

I forced myself to look away and distract myself. Glad he's not drunk this time.

"I wasn't the first time." He says.

"What?" Did I just say my thoughts out loud?

"The first time I was here, when you fell." He fought back a smile from the way his lips were twitching.

"Oh." I say, my cheeks were heating up.

"Anyway, what things do you want to talk about?" I ask.

"Well, um," He sighs heavily, running a hand through his wet hair.

"Well?"

"Are you free tomorrow?" We speak at the same time.

"What?" This is all he came here for?

"Are you free tomorrow? I need to talk to you." He repeats and lowers his head.

What?

"About what?"

"Things." He states.

"Yeah... I think." I say. My mind suddenly blurs.

He looks at me with what I think is complete shock or surprise or both.

"R-really?" His mouth formed an O.

Ugh.

I bite my tongue and nod.

"I'll pick you up early. Maybe around 6?" A big smile formed on his lips and his dimples make him look so innocent.

"Sure." I nod slowly.

This probably won't go well.

****

that was wEIRD I'M SORRY