before the pain | luke (JATP)

XIX

A knock on the door came before it opened, three smiling boys looked upon Alex's mother, who seemed a bit confused as to why her son's friends were all there that Tuesday, October morning. Yet she didn't say a thing and let all three of them in, they, of course, all went to Alex's room, which was filled with blue walls, his drum set, posters of bands, and on his bed he laid.

"We have class, what are you doing?" Reggie said as he threw a pillow from the living room at his best friend, who was laying like a depressed potato. "I'm enjoying my own sad existence," Alex said, almost emotionless. Reggie and Bobby looked at Luke who bit his lip with a sigh.

"I got this" Luke whispered, causing the boys to turn around and walk back to the car, Luke placed himself beside Alex on his bed. Alex looked at him, they both sat in silence for a bit until Alex broke it.

"You took her to our place" Alex whispered, Luke took a deep breath and put his hand on Alex's knee. "Used to be.... and she was the one being worried about you" Luke said quietly, their eyes met as they remembered the memories of them together.

"Alex... " Luke tried yet Alex looked away, he wasn't mad or heartbroken, yet the day prior, as Mila had placed him the question he thought no one would ask him again, he couldn't help but get all the heartbroken feelings back, just for a second, he felt his heartbreak into a million pieces.

"You know I see the way you look at her" Alex whispered with a soft smile, making Luke look confused at him, like he had no idea, which of course at the moment he didn't yet Alex and Reggie hadn't spoken of anything else the last month.

"How do I look at her?" Luke asked with a small confused smile, Alex smirked in a tease as he threw the pillow Reggie had thrown at him on his ex-boyfriend. "Like you're fallen for curly" Luke sat in shock for a minute, having no idea at the time what he was talking about, of course, because Luke promised himself, music was his number one and everyone else could be further down the line.

"You're an idiot"

"And you're delusional"

Luke shook his head in disbelief, yes of course he had noticed that she smelled like coconuts and strawberries. That when she was mad her nose scrunched up and when she was shy a red tint hit her cheeks. Of course, he had noticed that when she believes in something, she does everything to protect it and she is smart even though she gets in trouble for dumb things. Of course, he had noticed her sneeze sounded like a kitten when she blows away dust, and that her hair gets more and more curly the longer the day goes.

Mila didn't expect that Tuesday morning when the blue car drove in that Bobby would jump out the car to open the door for her, she lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. She thanked him, still confused, only to place herself in the middle seat between Luke and Bobby. Alex smiling from the front seat to her and Reggie smiling even more.

Mila chuckled and looked at all of them. "What is this?" The boys laughed at her question as Reggie started the car and drove to school that morning, she was still confused as she looked at Luke, who didn't seem to be much help either.

"We are just driving all five of us today," Bobby said with a small smile, Mila lifted an eyebrow, as she admitted not even thinking as she looked at him. "I thought you hated me?" This made them all silent in shock, as Bobby awkwardly laughed. "I never hated you"

Mila smirked as she gently pushed him. "If you say so weirdo" Bobby sat in shock looking at the curly-haired girl, as the rest of the boys tried not to laugh too much. Luke then cleared his throat and smiled at Mila, who now had her focus at him.

"Mila, next weekend you have to set a big X in the calendar," Luke said nodding to himself as he spoke, she nodded slowly: "Okay? But why?" She asked with a weirded face, he smiled proudly before Reggie interrupted him, saying what he was about to.

"Sunset Curve is playing on the black stage" Reggie almost screamed, making the rest of the boys cheer in happiness. Mila nodded with a bright smile. "I would love to come and see it" Mila admitted. "You still have to play for us though," Alex said as he looked behind, smiling to his friend.

This made Mila's heart melt, making Alex angry was the worst thing she had done that month, as she bit her lip she shook her head: "I don't think you guys will be pleased with my singing, but maybe someday in 25 years"

"Well in 25 years, we will be legends, we will play the big stages, I promise you," Luke said with the brightest smile Mila had seen on his face, she first now noticed that when Luke talked about music, that he now was on a rant on. His eyes almost lit up, which made her giggle to herself.

"I'll be your number one fan, I promise," Mila said as she flashed a bright smile to Luke, who couldn't help but chuckle at the curly-haired girl. Alex then sighed and leaned back. "Imagine us in 25 years, we will be old man... that's scary" Yet before anyone could say anything, Reggie stopped the car in front of the school, they all walked for reasons Mila did not know, they followed her to locker 272, to take her books out.

"272" Bobby smiled as he looked at the number, as she opened her locker, she nodded with a small smile. "That's almost as many times you have been to the principal" Bobby joked looking at Luke, who looked into his eyes with a smirk. "But not near enough times you have pissed someone off"

They walked to class, Mila placed herself in her french class, taking her notebook, and beginning to write down something she thought might be able to help Elijah, she nodded as she liked the idea and was even happier when the teacher didn't even see that she was writing in her notebook. Which might have been a first.

That was when she remembered what her mom had promised her, that if she lived her life that year and didn't get in trouble, she would pay for hamilton! Hamilton is the best writing school in this country. Mila couldn't help but wish she went there, she leaned her head on her hand as she began thinking about how wonderful it would be to become a real writer.

A real writer! A real New York Times Bestseller writer, with her name and face in every newspaper talking about Elijah, Anna, Kathrine, and Belle. She couldn't help but smile, at how the boys would be in her book signing and cheer for her, as she cheered for them at the concerts.

The day went quickly yet the thought of Oliver didn't slip her mind, she thought about how he had run out the second she had told him. She wondered if he had told her, or if someone else had as well. Yet she knew what she saw, Aera on the porch with Liam, it almost made Mila want to throw up. How could Aera ever like someone like Liam, of course, he was handsome yet his bad personality didn't add up on his boyfriend's material chart.

Yet as she walked from class to class, she didn't once see Oliver, not even at lunch where Alex told the boys and her a story about his trip to Ohio, the popular table where Oliver, Aera, and Liam normally saw, was instead taken by Daliah and Caroline, who was as always whispering and laughing about something or someone no one knew.

"You okay Milliana?" Luke asked as he looked at her, getting worried by her not paying attention, Mila zoned out of her thoughts and focused on Luke, she nodded slowly, yet the other boys had also noticed, Bobby lifted an eyebrow, of course, his thoughts was:

'I knew she was a weirdo' but he didn't care to say that out loud, Alex put his hand on Mila's as he tried to catch her eye contact. "Something on your mind, love?" He asked, Mila looked at her turkey sandwich as she again, not saying anything, but simply shaking her head.

Reggie was about to say something, yet as soon as the bell rang Mila was out of the cafeteria faster than anyone else. Reggie sighed and looked at the other boys, who looked at the source of their friend's weird behavior.

Reggie stood up and walked over to the two girls, who's eyes went directly to him, making his knees weak. "Morning ladies" Reggie tried to say with a smile, Caroline and Daliah looked at Reggie like he was lost before Caroline smiled gently standing up taking her tray.

"What can I help you with Reg?" Caroline asked, looking at the boy, he chuckled looking back at the boys who did a thumbs up, of course, they all knew that Reggie had been completely in love with Caroline Black since she sang solo in freshman year.

"You don't happen to know where Aera and Oliver is, do you?" Reggie asked looking at her, even though this was a simple and non-harmful question, Caroline took a deep breath almost in disgust. "Why would I know where that bitch is, go ask someone who cares "

And with that, they walked away having given Reggie a verbal slap in the face...