youngblood | a.i.

twelve || an angel gains her wings

The sun was the only constant in my life anymore. Everyone and everything around me is constantly changing, but the sun always sets and rises. It gave me one thing to rely on. I knew it would set each night and it would be visible from this spot. It gave me a constant in a life that is continuously revolving out of control around me.

"Annie?" Luke's voice rang out the window. I looked over my shoulder to the direction his voice came from. I didn't speak, but rather looked in his direction. "Come on," he waved me back in.

"Why?" I asked as I focused back on the sunset ahead of me.

"Because we're leaving for this party in 30 minutes and you're sitting on the roof," he explained, waiting for me to come to him.

"I'm not going, Luke," I told him, not moving from my spot.

I listened as he took a deep breath. "And why not?"

"Because no part of me wants to be around Ashton and Andrew more than I have to be," I told him, keeping it brief.

"What do you have against Andrew anyways?" he asked with a laugh.

I laughed right back at him. "More than you will ever know."

I trusted Luke with my everything, but I knew he was as trapped as I was by them. There was no reason for him to know what happened to me when he still had to be around them. He stayed silent for a moment before I heard a noise coming from his direction. I lolled my head in his direction, watching as he carefully stepped across the roof in my direction.

"It's team tradition. They want you there," he said as he reached me. I scooted forward, knowing he always likes the spot against the house over being out in the open.

"It's not like they treat me like I'm on the team anyways."

I brought my feet up to the point of the roof, one on each side. I pushed up off with my hands, moving to stand yet again, but with no wall to lean on this time.

I held my hands out straight, standing completely free as the sun set in front of me. I felt as the wind blew back against me, allowing me to feel at liberty for the first time in a while.

"Remember when we used to sit up here for hours as kids?" Luke whispered from behind me.

I dropped my arms to my side again, still standing on the edge. "Yeah," I laughed. "Now we fill that void with alcohol and sex."

He laughed with me. "I don't even remember who we were when we would sit out here."

"I barely remember who I am when I look in the mirror," I confided to him.

He sat silently for a moment as I continued looking off the edge. "Can I use my Hem's lifeline to get you to come with me?" Luke broke the silence from behind me.

I smiled as I turned around to look at him. "Can I use my Hem's lifeline to not?"

"They want you there," he told me. 

Remember when I said Luke's eyes reflect who he's around? Right now his matched mine, like they did when we were kids. 1When I said I felt free, I meant it. It felt like years ago when I was still young and naive, and he was too.

"Ashton said he wanted you there," Luke gritted through his teeth. I turned back around, watching as the sun started disappearing over the edge of the mountain.

"I think that convinces me less," I laughed back at him.

"I think you should come. You preach all the time about how you won't let Ashton and Andrew get to you, this is just another chance to prove it to them," Luke said from behind me.

"Why do they want me there so bad anyway?" I asked as I turned around to face him.

"I don't know, ask them. But they want to make sure I bring you with after you said you weren't earlier," he shrugged from where he sat.

"What do you think they'll do if I do go?" I asked, a smirk on my face as my mind thought about all the ways I could fuck with them.

"Not beat my ass," Luke laughed. 

I stood on the peak of the roof, one foot balancing perfectly on it as I slowly picked up my other one. Luke scooted forward a bit, making sure he was within arm's distance to catch me. I smiled at him, knowing how much he hated not being against the wall when he was up here, but he didn't want me to get hurt. This was my Luke.

"And I think you would have fun," he added on.

"Do you really want me to go?" I asked as I brought my foot back down.

"Yes," he nodded to me.

"Fine... I'll go, but I'm going for me and for you, not for them," I told him. His face lit up at my words.

"Then let's go. You have to get ready!" he stood up quickly with his hand against the wall. He led the way back to the window, making me laugh as he was more excited about it than I was.

"Okay, okay," I said as he started almost running. I thought he was going to fall. "I'm coming."

Luke climbed back in the window first, helping me in after. With both feet back on solid ground, I shut the window behind me. "Okay, I'll be back in 30 minutes, and then we have to leave," he told me, pointing his finger toward me.

"Okay," I held up my hands in surrender, knowing there was no backing out now.

"30 minutes," he pointed at me again, opening the door behind him.

"Well, if you leave I could actually get dressed," I challenged, making him leave quicker.

"30 minutes and I'll be back," he called as he closed the door behind him.

I shook my head at the exchange and fell back onto my bed. What the hell did I just get myself into?