leaked (l.h.)

7

"This looks shady," I say as Luke drives me up to the building, his hands carefully placed on his steering wheel as he hums a song that I don't know.

"It does," he smiles, pulling his phone out of his pocket and bringing it to his ear. "But it's not that bad."

I watch him as his dainty hands holds his huge phone while he drives, parking on the street in front of a building that used to be some sort of theatre. The box office in the front is covered in cobwebs and graffiti, and truth be told I've never been to this part of town. I've never had a reason to, and I've always been warned about over here. But Luke seems to know what he is doing.

"Cal!" I hear Luke smile as he hears his friend on the other side of the line. "We're outside, let us in."

I look at him, twirling my hair around my finger as I feel a bit of nervousness about tonight. I sort of wish I'd have told him no, but as he turns to me with the biggest smile on his face I can't help but see how it might have been worth it.

"Let's go," he smiles, clicking his seatbelt off and climbing out of the car. I do the same, and as I watch Luke walk to his open trunk to pull out a guitar case I raise my eyebrow.

"Are you playing a show?" I ask, approaching him as he closes the trunk.

"Yes," he says, but with a sort of uncertainty to his voice that makes me question him. I raise my eyebrow, watching how he winks down at me. Am I supposed to know what that means?

"You brought a guest?" I hear Calum's voice behind me, and as I turn I see a huge and contagious smile across his face. He raises his eyebrows as our eyes meet, and when I see how nicely he and Luke are both dressed I feel out of place. "Hi," he says, holding the door open with his Doc Marten's.

"Hi," I say walking over to Calum as I look into the building, the smell of dust already hitting my nostrils before I even walk inside. "I'm Grace."

"I know," he replies. "I'm Calum."

"I know," I reply, winking at him as I walk inside. As I walk, my thighs are still raw from yesterday and the pain in my lower stomach seems to be getting worse. But I ignore it, because I need a distraction. And this might just be it.

I hear his laugh behind me as the door clicks shut, and the sunlight that illuminated this theatre disappears as the door closes. And for a second, I realize that I'm stuck in a room of strangers. It's dark, and I can't help but panic when I think of the worst. Oh god. Oh god.

"Luke?" I call out in the darkness, my calls becoming more and more frequent as I feel my heart race in my chest. "Luke?"

My eyes are wide as I turn around, waiting for a sign, any sign, that I should make a run for it. Because as much as I want to believe that these people aren't here to hurt me, I'm not in the best mental state at the moment.

"Hold on," he says, and as I feel my body begin to shake in fear I hear a heavy click, followed by the gentle hum of the overhead lights turning on. "There we are," he says, and as they slowly light the room up with their yellow glow I feel a bit safer. Calum stands in the corner, smiling softly as he scrolls through his phone. Michael and Ashton mess around on stage, and Luke stands on a chair to reach the light box. I stand in the middle of the room, my eyes still wide from the scare I just had. I feel like I might faint.

"Hey," he says, looking at me as he jumps down from the chair. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Calum smiles, slipping his phone in his pocket as he walks over to me. On his head covering his curly black hair, he wears a bucket hat. His shirt is red, hugging his torso nicely. And his pants are the same, ripped at the knees like Luke's are. I've only seen Calum around once or twice, and I remember how absolutely intrigued Arzaylea was when he walked by her the first time. But she didn't pursue him, since she always wants boys to pursue her first. "It gives me haunted vibes."