Banter || Hemmings

Ni Ju Sichi

L U K E

“I’m so glad we’re done for the week,” Michael smiled to me as we exited our lecture. 

“I know. Hey, you wanna go and get something to eat? I’m starving,” I suggested. 

“As long as I can have pizza,” he said making me smile and roll my eyes. 

I drove, seeing as I’d picked Mike up because his car was in the shop, “you spoken to Blake lately?” 

“No,” he said simply. 

“So he’s not taking it well?” I asked. 

“I wouldn’t know. It’s more of…I type a message then delete it because I don’t want to cave first,” he explained. 

“So you still love him?” I questioned. 

“Of course I do Luke. You can’t just turn off love. You can’t just make it go away. I still love him with all my heart but we just don’t have time for each other anymore and we were always fighting and I couldn’t take it anymore. Do you still love Ashlynn?” he said quickly and frustratedly. 

“No,” I answered simply. 

“You lucky basted,” he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“What?” I chuckled. 

“You’re not in love,” he said and pouted like a little puppy. 

“She treated me like shit. Who could love that?” I asked. 

“You,” he said with a cheeky smile. 

“That was different,” I chuckled. 

“Oh Ashlynn why do you hate me?” he said, trying to mock my voice. 

“I know why she hated me,” I told him. 

“It’s all because you thought she was perfect and wanted her attention,” he teased. 

“Yes,” I said, not even trying to deny it. 

“I miss her,” he said after a while of silence. 

“Me too,” I sighed. 

“How do you think she is?” he inquired. 

“Probably not good. She did seem on the verge of a meltdown last time I spoke to her,” I admitted. 

I pulled up at the plaza and we both got out. Mike dragged me straight to the pizza place and while he waited for his order I went and got some ravioli from the Italian place across the food court. I chuckled to myself when Mike stepped out of the pizza place confused and lost. I whistled as loud as I could and flagged him over. 

“Is that Ashlynn?” he asked as he sat down. 

“What?” I asked him in confusion. 

“Behind you,” I discretely turned in my seat to see he was right. 

She was with her mum, solum look on her face as she ate something off a plate. She looked pale and worn down. Most of all she looked sad. She looked up and I turned around in my seat. 

“Busted,” Mike chuckled. 

“Shut up,” I said and flicked his nose. 

“Rude,” he muttered with a pout. 

“Sorry Mikey,” I said with a sly smile. 

“I don’t like you anymore,” he said then started eating his pepperoni pizza.