The Set- Up || 5SOS ||

Chapter Thirteen

Hii!! As you guys know, Luke is now eighteen (seriously, can you hear my tears?) so here's an early update just to celebrate this special day :)

Originally, this was one long chapter but instead I split into two chapters, so I will post the next part of Friday if you guys want me to. Annnywaaay, enjoy the early chapter and don't forget to vote/comment and drop me a DM if you ever wanna chat hahaha

Happy Birthday Luke! You big dork. Don't party too hard :P

"He called it temporary euphoria." I said, walking alongside Luke through the back way of the hotel. "Of course I was too young to understand what that meant, but I used to even sit on his lap as he'd down it in by the bottle."

Luke nodded slowly as he pressed the button on the elevator. The doors opened as I took in another breath,

"Every time I asked him what he meant, he'd say the same thing to me." I thought back to a scene that took place almost a decade ago, yet it played smoothly through my mind like I had lived it only last week.

He would plant me on his knee, his left arm buckled around my waist whilst using his right hand to crack open another bottle. He'd say it as if he had practised it, like he was endorsing the idea.

"This bottle right here will give you a shot of quick happiness wherever and whenever you want." he'd say simply, before taking a long, deep swig of the liquid.

I remember cooing over the bottles he'd stack in the refrigerator. I even refused to call apple juice by it's actual name. Instead, it was 'jolly juice'. Because, as a little girl, all I ever wanted was to be just like daddy.

"However, my darling," he would sigh, as he would stroke my shoulders or fix my pigtails. "Like all things, the feeling doesn't last."

My father was a clever man. Though his breath smelt strongly of beer and his eyes were always droopy- he had the most incredible smile. It was one of those smiles that you couldn't plaster on your face when called for a photograph. It was the smile that you'd make to you're friends when the teacher turns back around after a telling off, or when you triumphantly sneak a cookie out from the jar without getting caught.

It wasn't the beer my dad craved, it was the feeling he got while drinking it. My father may have been addicted to fake happiness, but he himself sure as hell wasn't artificial. He was an honest, admirable man.

I guess that, in the end, the most genuine people make the greatest angels.

"One day, I asked him how many bottles he would need to drink until the feeling was permanent." I recalled as we emerged out of the elevator and into the hallway. "The the next day, well," I scratched my knuckles, mentally trying to put my thoughts into words.

"Ever heard the phrase, 'Curiosity killed the cat'?" I explained, my voice breaking halfway through the sentence.

The thought hit me that Luke may not have even have been listening to my story, let alone cared for it. Yet, something made me think otherwise. He looked down at me as we stopped outside of the hotel room. A face that once showed no emotion at all suddenly expressed something words can't. His forehead creased as he gazed down at me, yet he said nothing.

"I don't want to go in." I stated, breaking the silence and nodding at the door. "They probably hate me right now, anyway." I shivered, tugging at the sleeves of my shirt.

"No they don't, I explained everything after I figured it out earlier." Luke assured me, handing me the keycard. "Besides, nothings permanent- emotions included."

I smiled, immediately recognizing his quoting.

"Exactly." my smile dispersed from my face. "Nothing's permanent," I exhaled deeply, tilting my head up at the ceiling. "Not even people."