Eighteen.

Chapter 15

After the weird private concert Luke had given her, Aimee felt a little closer to him. She felt better about their rickety relationship- could it nearly be a friendship?

Yet again, however, Luke opened his mouth and ruined everything.

"So... You're not leaving until tomorrow? What are you doing tonight?"

He saw Aimee recoil slightly and blinked, shaking his head. "I did not mean it like that. I-"

Aimee shocked him with a giggle. "I'm getting a bus, tonight, Luke. My train leaves tomorrow, but I'm staying in a hotel in town."

Luke looked at her in confusion. "How come?"

Aimee gestured around. "It's empty here. There's no buses tomorrow."

The tall boy bit his lip, glancing around. He knew he couldn't let her leave alone- that would ruin everything. He thought fast.

"I didn't know that. I thought I had a few days to get out of here... To go back home to Sydney, you know."

He nearly slapped himself for oversharing, again, but didn't stop talking.

"I guess I'll have to get the bus too."

Aimee laughed, a memory hitting her as she lay back into the warmed grass, listening as Luke locked his guitar securely into its case.

"What are you laughing at?" Luke asked, seeming amused himself.

Aimee looked up to see him sit, legs splayed out awkwardly in front of him.

"I just remembered..." she trailed off, knowing it would sound creepy. "Nothing, never mind."

Luke looked curious, but didn't ask any questions.

"Shouldn't you go pack?" Aimee asked, trying to rid them of the silence that surrounded them.

Luke sent her his signature smirk.

"I leave most of my clothes here. I, um... Dress differently. Back home."

Aimee laughed as she looked him over, leather jacket and black skinny jeans included. "I'm glad. You'd give any old lady a heart attack."

Luke smiled, opening his mouth to reply when the call for the last bus was broadcast over the grounds of the school.

"Guess we've gotta be going. God, the year flew by."

Aimee smiled, looking up at him. She had first seen him at the start of the year on a bus, and it seemed right to her that they would say goodbye to the school on one.

They boarded together, though Luke respectfully sat in the seat parallel to Aimee's.

Aimee admired this, but didn't hesitate to talk back to him when he started conversation.

Not surrounded by a barrage of other people's opinions and thoughts, Aimee found herself almost comforted by his presence.

Scariest of all, she was beginning to actually think she'd miss him.

Luke didn't know it, but his original goal had been completed. Properly.

He got off the bus, and when he departed, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

------------------------------------------------------
HOW ABOUT WE JUST GIVE ME AN AWARD FOR WORST UPDATER EVER
I'd give up this story if I wasn't so determined to finish one of them omf
Okay
QOTC: have you ever been in love?
AOTC: Yep. Once. And it was beautiful.
OKAY BYE GUISE ILY
Meghan xox