Dark Blue | l.h au|

chapter three

CHAPTER THREE

  Jessica sat curled up in her dark bedroom with her laptop balanced on her knees looking at plane tickets. Luke had been gone a week and made sure to call her twice a day. Luke was determined to keep in touch with her. He continuously promised he’d try to get the rumors of them dating straightened out. Luke was oblivious to what Jessica was thinking about her sudden rise to fame. Her blog had blown up in views once fans of the band had found it. Some had commented sweet things on it, others commented death threats.

  The death threats didn’t faze Jessica. She was so immune to her own thoughts that the threats were nothing. She took them as a compliment. She thought of it as “people would kill me to be me.” She felt enriched with self confidence.

  She continued to scroll through the comments. It took everything in her not to reply with something rude or sarcastic back. But for Luke’s sake, she kept her fingers still and away from the letters on her worn out keyboard.

  Jessica never pictured herself writing a blog or anything of that sort. She could never picture herself even having thoughts of having a blog. Words to her used to be a bunch of jumbled up letters that supposedly had a meaning. She didn’t know how to put her thoughts into words until her whole world suddenly felt like it was closing in on her.

  The only way to get her mind away from its own thoughts was to type. One day she just picked up her laptop and started typing away. She started off with voicing her opinion about things in a blank word document for a school project she was dreading.

  She ended up huddled in her room alone at the late hours of the night typing away at her computer whilst her family who could care less about her slept soundly.

  At first, Jessica didn’t think anyone would ever find out about her blog. She posted about beauty products and clothing she had liked along with music. She also wrote reviews on the different acts she’d seen in concert. That’s what got everyone’s attention, including Luke’s.

  Luke and the rest of the band had discovered Jessica’s blog one day, while Michael did. Luke just discovered Jessica’s instagram which was linked to the blog (he did read her blog eventually, don’t worry. That’s how he knew her favorite bands).  Once Luke knew Jessica was going to be at the show that night he was stoked and excited and nervous. He knew Jessica had a soft spot for their music and she didn’t hate them that much.

  From across the sea in America, Luke lays awake in the hotel room he’d been sharing with Michael for the night. With Michael sound asleep in the bed on the other side of the room Luke got up and walked over to the window and opened the curtains a bit to take a glimpse of the shadows of buildings in the distance.

  Luke was in New York.

  He was thankful the hotel room had a balcony. Carefully, trying not to awake Michael he grabbed his laptop from off the desk beside him with his headphones and opened the door just an enough for him to slide out. He shivered as he was only wearing a long sleeved shirt, pajama pants and a beanie.

  Luke logged into Skype and his face lit up once he saw Jessica was online. He immediately called her and waited patiently for her to answer. He fixed his beanie and lightly bounced his laptop on his knee.

  Suddenly, a tired Jessica appeared on his screen. It was three in the morning in London and 11pm in New York. Luke couldn’t help but smile at Jessica in her cocoon of blankets. He wanted nothing more than to be there beside her.

  “Can I help you?” Jessica asked quietly, sounding like she could crash at any moment.

  “I don’t know actually, just wanted to see your pretty stupid face.” Jessica held her hand up to her chest.

  “Ouch my heart.”

  “Sorry if I broke it, I’ll fix it again later.” Luke laughed. “Why are you awake?”

  “Why are you skyping me at 3am?”

  “Why are you awake at 3am?”

  “I asked you first.”

  “I missed you.” He admitted.

  “I couldn’t sleep.” Jessica said quietly.

  “You’re like an owl.”

  “Hoot hoot.” Luke bit back a smile. He was whipped already.

  “So where are you in the world anyways, Hemmings?”

  “I’m in New York.”

 Jessica let out a sigh. She wished for nothing more than to be laying in bed beside Luke in New York. She didn’t even like him, she liked his company or so she thought.

  Luke stared at Jessica, admiring the messy hair framing her face and her tired eyes. The two of them sat in silence. Luke watched from across the ocean as Jessica typed away. Luke liked how she looked so concentred and determined.

 “What are you doing?” he asked quietly.

  “Typing.”

  “Really, wow I didn’t know that.” He said sarcastically.

  “It’s for school.” He nodded his head

  Jessica sighed as she switched documents, actually working on something for school. It was a letter to her parents she’d leave for if they had ever come to visit her. She wrote about how she was going to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. The only probably was her contact for her apartment lasted enough three months which pushed all of her plans back.

  She just wanted to leave.

  She debated on telling Luke her little plan and maybe he’d want to join. She didn’t mind the idea of sharing an apartment with Luke. Quite frankly, she didn’t mind anything if it involved Luke. Jessica tried her hardest to push that thought to the back of her head. Don’t get attached. She told herself over and over and over. It was always too late for Jessica though. She was slowly falling in love with the boy on the screen who she hardly knew but wanted to know every thought in his mind, every inch of his body, and keep away every tear he’d ever shed.

  “Luke,” Jessica said as she noticed he was slowly dozing off. “I’m going to come to New York in a couple of months.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, I’m gonna come check it out before that I hope.”

  “Why not come tomorrow?”

  “With what plane ticket Luke?”

  “The one under your pillow.”