First//Luke Hemmings

Chapter 25

I was pacing around the living room, tugging at the hem of my dress. It was Friday, the Friday of the dinner. I was terrified.  I had already let my dad know that it was my boyfriend who was coming over, and he said nothing. He just went up to his room and watched football. I didn't really know how to interpret that reaction, all it did was make me even more nervous. Luke was expected any minute, and I was so nervous about how my parents would treat him.

The doorbell rang and I was snapped out of my thoughts. I ran to get the door, and pulled it open to reveal Luke standing awkwardly. He was dressed in his classic black skinny jeans and black t-shirt, but instead of his usual plaid he was wearing a nice dinner jacket. I smiled and gave him a huge hug, my heart pounding with nerves.

“Are you nervous,” he whispered.

“Terrified,” I responded, pulling back.

“So am I,” he said, handing me the small bouquet of flowers he was holding.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house, walking with him to the kitchen.

“Mom, Dad, this is Luke, my boyfriend,” I said standing in the doorway, my hands shaking.

“Hello son,” my dad said, looking over at us.

“Pleasure to meet you sir,” Luke said, sticking out his hand to shake my dads.

My dad just ignored him, turning back to the stove and plating some pasta for himself. Luke and I looked at each other, awkwardly sitting down. Holden walked in from the living room and patted Luke on the back, sitting in the empty seat next to him.

“Good luck man,” my brother whispered to Luke, passing him a bread roll.

We sat in silence as we started eating the slightly overcooked whole wheat pasta, my hand clutching Luke’s under the table.

“So Luke, what do your parents do?” my dad asked suddenly.

“Oh, well my dad is a realtor,” Luke responded, taking a sip of his water.

“And your mom?” my mother asked.

“Oh…um…she’s not around,” he said quietly, looking back down at his food.

“Oh, what a shame,” my mother said, no sympathy in her voice.

“And what do you plan on doing after school?” my dad asked.

“Well, I’m hoping to go to Stanford, I want to be a computer scientist,” Luke replied.

“Ah, now that doesn’t make that much money does it?” my dad said sternly.

“Um, not really sir. But if I become really successful it could make a lot of money,” Luke said.

“Well yes, but not as much as say a lawyer or a doctor,” my dad said.

“No sir, not as much as those professions,” Luke replied slowly, gulping audibly.

“Dad, can we please stop hounding my boyfriend about his future?” I asked, laughing awkwardly.

“I’m just curious Zoey, he seems pulled together enough to answer these questions,” my dad responded.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I scoffed.

“Nothing really, just that he can actually answer my questions,” he said.

“What and I can’t? Do you really have to talk about this right now Dad?” I asked.

“Yes actually, if you’re going to waste your time with this boy I need to know what he plans to do to provide for you, since you wont be able to take care of yourself,” he said mater–of- factly.

“Dad, we're 18, why are you talking about him providing for me?” I said, gripping Luke’s hand tighter.

 “Well, he’s probably going to be the only person you’re ever with, since you’re so flaky and all,” my mother said, taking a sip of wine.

“What the hell?” I yelled.

My parents are usually awful, but they always are passive aggressive. This was just plain aggression, and I was getting flustered.

“Look, I’m sure this Luke boy is nice and all, but firstly I don’t think he’ll be able to provide for you in the ways that you need. And second, once this relationship crashes and burns, which it will, you’ll have to come crawling back to us. And you wont want that will you?” my dad said.

“Dad please stop, you’re being ridiculous,” I said, a tear rolling down my cheek.

“No I’m just being practical, unlike you two,” he said.

I started to cry, my dad’s words piercing me like daggers. He was being cruel for no reason, this was going worse then I could have ever imagined. I was more upset with how he was treating Luke then me to be honest, I was use to this kind of behavior.

“Oh Zoey, stop being so dramatic,” my mother sighed.

“See what you did Luke, she wasn’t so ridiculous before you entered the picture,” my dad snarled.

“Look sir, I love your daughter and I don’t want her to have to deal with this right now,” Luke yelled.

I raised my head when Luke said the word love, my eyes growing wide. Did he mean it, or was he just trying to justify himself to my dad?

“Love, ha. Sure son, what ever you say,” my dad chuckled.

“Look, I’m going to go home. Zoey do you want to come?” Luke asked, placing a hand around my shoulder.

I nodded, tears still streaming down my face as Luke grabbed my hand and pulled me from the kitchen.

“I’ll take her home tomorrow, but I hope you two are happy about what you did,” Luke called back to my parents.

a.n///

drama woot woot. in other news, first reached 2,000 reads. i dont even know what to say, i may have teared up a bit when i saw that number. im sure for most people this number is minute, but for me the is huge. so thanks so much to all of you guys!

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