the color purple | cake

The Color Purple

Luke sat in the middle of their bedroom. He'd collapsed and hadn't had any will to get back up. He felt trapped in his own house. In his own mind.

Something caught his eye under their bed. His bed. He grabbed it quickly.

It was a Polaroid of them laying bed together. On the bottom something was scribbled in his handwriting.

If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world? Chasing Cars- Snow Patrol

I love you forever and always - Calum x

He would of. He did. He wishes he still could.

Luke stands up and gently places the picture on his bedside table like it was the most delicate flower bound to break. He strips and turns the shower water on fully blasted heat.

How... ironic that he had found that. That Calum had written that. Forever and always is different lengths for different people.

If only he had laid longer. If only he had been around more. If only he had forgotten more of the world. If only he had seen the problems. If only he had knew what was going on.

If only, if only, if only.

He was gone. There was more 'if only's', they were now 'you're stupid's'.

And Luke was slipping away too.

He scrubbed his burning, itching skin in the water, hoping the scrubbing would wash away the pain just like the dark purple lavender soap he always loved smelling on him washed down the drain.

He was bright red when he stepped out of the shower. He dryly laughed at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't bother drying himself off yet and ventured into his room, tracking water behind him.

He grabbed a soft pink, almost white long sleeve out of the closet and skinny jeans, finally going back to the bathroom and drying off before getting dressed. The once well-fitting shirt was now baggy on his skinny form.

He stepped out into the hallway outside his room and wrapped his arms around himself, immediately feeling insecure. He was alone though. No one to see him anymore.

He stared down the hallway. He doesn't know if he could make it down there.

So many memories.

Too many memories.

He thought back to the picture he found under the bed, and took a step forward in his sock clad feet. A memory forced his way into his mind.

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"Lucas, give me my sweatshirt back!" Calum giggled, calling after the boy running down the hallway.

"No!" Luke squealed, shutting himself in his bedroom, not wanting to give up the purple sweatshirt just yet. He heard no sounds on the other side of the door, so he peaked his head out into the empty hallway. He stepped out cautiously, his sock feet making little noise. After a sheepish step, the bathroom door swung open and Calum burst out, tackling Luke to the floor, both laughing like idiots.

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Luke felt cold in the empty hallway. He sniffled and before he knew it, found himself hastily swinging open the bathroom door in desperation.

He was met with a dark, empty room with a broken boy in the mirror. A shirt in the hamper caught his eye- Calum's Led Zeppelin shirt.

Luke pulled the sleeves farther over his hands and shut the door behind him, continuing down the hallway. He almost passed the pictures on the wall, but ended up stopping, against his head begging him to continue on down the hallway.