Faking Me - l.h. AU

Chapter Five

What is this? two weeks in a row? YOU BETCHA

I really hope this is good enough oops

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“So, what it is?” I asked, watching Luke close the car’s hood with a frown in his face.

“I… have no idea,” He said, not even looking at me.

“What do you mean with that?!” I started to get worked up. This whole situation was just too much, after what he told me in his car the idea of getting stuck with him almost made me sick. “What the fuck are we going to do?!”

“I don’t know, ok?! I’m no mechanic, fucking hell,” The frustration in his voice made me flinch and a bit of guilt crept to the pit of my stomach. This wasn’t his fault and the way he ran his hands through his hair was an obvious signal that he wasn’t happy with the situation either.

I couldn’t call anyone. Actually, it wasn’t that I couldn’t, I just didn’t have anyone to call in the first place. We only had one option.

 “Come on, I live like five blocks from here,” I sighed, turning around and walking without giving him a chance to say anything else, but I knew he was following by the sound of the car being locked and his footsteps, quick to catch up to me.

No one from school, ever, had gone to my apartment before. How do you explain to a bunch of teenagers why your parents are never there? How do you avoid the pity or the awkward questions even if they don’t know the story?

If they didn’t know, I avoided all the trouble. And I liked keeping it that way.

I was opening the door to the lobby when Luke talked for the first time since we started walking. “I guess you are fine from here,” He was looking at the floor like it was talking back to him. “Bye. And I’m sorry. And bye. Again.”

The only thing I managed to do at first was stare at him, surprised, until he finally started moving away. “What are you doing?” His eyes snapping from the sidewalk to me, “Actually, where are you going?”

“Well, erm, I was gonna walk until I found a taxi or my house-” He started but I interrupted before he could get any further.

“Luke, it’s almost one a.m., no taxi is going to pick you up. Considering that you haven’t called or texted anyone, I’m guessing no one can give you the ride. And you are not gonna walk by yourself, even I could mug you,” The seriousness on my tone must have made its way into his brain because now Luke was looking at me like a kid getting scolded. “So, do us a favor and just go in.”

I held open the glass door, waiting until he finally made his mind and walked through it, looking at the floor again.

Crossing the lobby to get to the elevator, I noticed the landlord-slash-guard behind the reception desk. “Yo, Steve, do you even have a house for yourself? This must be a little lonely,” I joked, turning to the forty-something chubby man that acted as receptionist, landlord and guard of the complex, while Luke called the elevator.

“Not everyone can have luck every night like you, Zelda,” He laughed, looking at Luke while the latter stood awkwardly against the wall. “It was time for you to arrive, young lady, have you seen the clock?”

“Yeah, yeah, dad,” I mocked him. Even though he was joking I knew a he actually cared about me and I really appreciated that. With a ding the elevator’s doors opened and we stepped inside. “Goodnight, Steve.”

“Goodnight, Zelda,” He called back, but before the doors closed he shouted. “But remember! Doors open!”

I was left laughing while the elevator went up, even caught Luke chuckling at the comment. Fucking Steve.