rumour has it | ✓ [ old version ]

xxvii. with a side of pizza

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

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"What did you need to talk about?." Luke asks, his voice muffled since his mouth is filled with food. Once again it's Friday and Luke and I are at his parent's pizza place, but instead of me telling him about my agreement with Mitchell, it's instead of my birth mother. I couldn't keep this in, I needed to tell someone and let it off my chest before it suffocates me and eventually kills me.

I slide the photo on the table toward him "that's my birth mum." I tell him and immediately, he begins to choke. My eyes grow wide, but before I can help him; he's already calmed down and breathing in deeply since he almost did die. Luke already knows that my birth mum died since I told him, but he didn't know about the letters and about me having a photo of her, but he's about to.

He picks up the photo and examines it "wow, you look just like her." He says, shocked "does Mitchell know about this?." He asks, handing me the photo and I grab it from his hands with a shake of my head. Mitchell didn't need to know; he already knew of her death and I don't think adding this on would be the greatest idea especially since Julia is leaving tomorrow.

"Why would Mitchell need to know about this?." I ask, looking at the photo once again. It still left me shocked when seeing me in the arms of my birth mother and how much I look like her.

Luke shrugs "because you guys have been getting close-." He begins "well that's what it looked like in the car the other day." He finishes and I feel my cheeks flush at the memory. Mitchell had been so caring and supportive that day; putting his hand on my shoulder gave me more comfort then he'd ever know and him showing me a different side to him and distracting me from the pain helped a lot.

I roll my eyes "should I tell him about the letters too?."

His eyebrows raise "what letters?."

"Before she died, she wrote a bunch of letters for me; one for every occasion a girl goes through in life and one of them explaining why she died." I explain with a croak; I didn't want to cry again; Luke looks as if he wants to question it, but is scared to because of how emotional I am now "she died of cancer Luke, she was sick." I whisper out.

Pity flashes through Luke's brown eyes "oh Faye-." He says sympathetically.

I shake my head "I don't want your pity, I just want this pain to go away." I tell him as I sniff.

He smiles a small smile "have you talked to your dad about this?." He asks and I snort.

"No, I haven't been able to." I reply.

Luke shakes his head at me "I think you should-." He begins and I go to say something, but he holds up his hand to stop me "if you could lose your birth mother so soon than you could lose the parental figure who's been there for you from the minute you were born just like that." Luke explains with a snap of his fingers to further prove his point and I feel guilt begin to settle in the pit of my stomach. He's right; I couldn't ignore him forever.

I sigh and nod "I know, just not now; I just need time to process this all before I can talk to him." I say as I look to the food that sits in front of me, untouched. I did need more time; this wasn't just me being adopted now; this is my biological mother being dead and my biological father gone, him lying to me and not telling me when he had the chance.

"So-." Luke begins "graduation is nearly here, you excited for that?." Luke asks, changing the subject.

I shake my head with a sigh as I begin to eat my food "it's come by so fast." I state and it has. Only a few years ago, little old me was walking into the beginning of her high school year, beginning rival and desperately awaiting for the day she'd graduate. Now, older me is shocked at how fast the years have passed. At the beginning of the high school year I hated Mitchell Preston and now, I actually don't mind him.

Luke snorts "soon, we'll be leaving the nest." he says and I nod my head in agreement "well look on the bright side, soon your 'relationship' is coming to it's end, are you excited about it?." Luke asks, changing the subject once again and using his fingers as quotation; he puts his elbow on the wooden table and rests his head in his hand.

I shrug again "I'm kinda sad about it." I tell him honesty, I couldn't lie to Luke.

Luke raises his eyebrows and a smirk spreads across his face "are you saying you enjoyed Mitchell's company?." He asks with a shocked gasp.

I roll my eyes "okay, I will admit he isn't bad." I reply.

"See? Mitchell isn't the big bad wolf after all." He says in a baby voice.

"Why did you want me to get to know him anyway?." I ask, curious of his answer.

"People aren't always what they seem." He says all mysterious like, so I'm thinking there's a double meaning to his words. However, before I can question him, he speaks again "we should finish our food before it gets cold." He states before beginning to eat his food once again.

With raised eyebrows, I begin to eat my food as well, looking at Luke with questioning eyes. But I don't ask about it, maybe Luke will tell me one day about what he meant and I'll be there, ready for whatever he has to tell him.

I'll just suffer with a side of pizza