Pill By Pill {Muke}

19 - Home Sweet Home

Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back. ~John Ruskin

Michael's POV

We walked through the rain, getting increasingly wet. Luke grabbed my hand and pulled me down several streets until we were at what I would assume to be his home. He opened the door and we walked inside to see a woman prepping herself in a mirror.

She said nothing to us. At one point she turned and looked to us but otherwise said nothing.

"That's my mother." Luke said to me. "Mum?"

"Not now, Luke." She sighed. "I need to get ready to leave, be useful and go fetch me an umbrella, would you?"

Luke sighed and went to go get an umbrella. I would not say he was totally ignored by his parents, but he sure as hell was not well liked.

Luke came back with an umbrella and set it down near her. Luke then grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the room. He said nothing as  we entered his room. The only thing on the floor was a pillow from his bed.

"Sorry about that." Luke said. "I feel like that was uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine." I said. I put my hands in the pocket of my wet jeans. We were both soaked, Luke turned and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from his dresser.

"Bathroom is down the hall, to the left." He said and I nodded before leaving to change. When I changed I could not help but to be amazed at the fact that Luke's clothing did not smell of cigarettes, instead it had a sweet smell to it. Although I could not pinpoint what exactly it was.

I came back with a pile of folded wet clothes to see a changed Luke laying on the bed.

"You're the last person I wanted in here, honestly." Luke said without even turning his head to me.

"That makes me feel really good." I replied and rolled my eyes.

"I'm just being honest." Luke said and stood up off his bed, exiting the room. I followed him and saw him look in every room and then walk out onto the porch. Standing close enough to it not to get wet. But he lit a cigarette and puffed out some smoke.

"Really? You're - "

"Michael, please." Luke cut me off. He had a pleading tone to his voice that made me go against saying anything to him, about it.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I put my hand on Luke's shoulder. He nodded his head. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just stressed." Luke replied. "Always stressing out."

"Why don't you just talk about it? It would make you feel better than that cigarette ever could." I said. Luke looked down at the cancer stick in his hand and nodded his head. He threw it into the rain and we walked back inside. I followed Luke everywhere he went. Watching him pop a mint in his mouth and walk up the stairs again so that he was on his bed.

"Alright," Luke said, he looked around nervously. As if it was my room and not his. "I'm just kind of peeved off about how she reacted to us coming in and didn't say one thing considerate about the fact that we're soaked." Luke let out a sigh as his eyes drifted to me. "I'm okay with her ignoring me and not caring, but I don't like that she did the same thing to you."

"But you don't even want me here." I replied. I was struggling to understand this boy, one second he wanted me here and the next he did not.

"I don't want you here because it's embarrassing." Luke let out an exaggerated sigh. "Not because I don't like you. If I didn't like you, I would let you stay soaked."

"Yeah could've fooled me." I rolled my eyes.

Luke smiled slightly. "It's just the kind of friendship we have."

"Funny, I always thought we weren't friends." I replied with a smirk and Luke's eyes grew wide.

"I..Uh.." Luke trailed off. His face turned red and he cleared his throat. "So w-what do you want to - " Luke's words were cut off by the sound of a doorbell. Luke muttered a 'thank goodness' and went for the door. I followed behind him and saw him open the door, in stepped in Barbie and Skarlet.

And Riley.

"Hey Luke," Skarlet smiled and turned to see me. "Michael."

"Hi." I waved slightly to the two who seemed happy to see me. I was slightly shocked by the fact that all of these druggies seemed to like me. I then had to wonder if they would turn me into another Luke?

"What's going on?" Luke asked. He looked between the group and I several times, a nerved expression about him but I had no idea what to say to it.

"Nothing, you alright?" Barbie asked. She picked up on the exact same thing I did. "You look like you could use a smoke."

"Um..Yeah - I mean, I mean no. No I don't." Luke shook his head, I had to smile slightly to myself. The infamous Luke Hemmings, refusing a smoke. "You can't smoke in here anyways."

"Who really cares?" Riley asked, a bitter tone to his voice.

"I do. I don't want my house smelling like smoke." Luke replied. "It's not like it smells good."

"Right." Riley rolled his eyes. He always seemed to treat Luke badly. I had no idea why the two were still friends, apparently Riley thought the same question about Luke and I. His eyes locked on me and he spoke. "Why is he here?"

"Michael?" Luke asked. Looking towards me then back to Riley. "What's the matter with it?"

"Nothing I just, thought you would have picked up on it by now." Riley shrugged.

"Picked up on what? What's going on?" Luke asked. He looked slightly panicked and slightly pained.

"Oh nothing." Riley said. "Nothing kiddo, don't worry about it." Riley ruffled Luke's hair and sat down on the couch. As soon as he did the front door opened and a man revealed himself.

"Oh..Hi father." Luke gave a small smile as the dirty man pushed past him. "Do you need help unpacking or are you - "

"No just shut it." The man sighed and disappeared.

I felt kind of bad for Luke, he seemed so eager to have a family that appreciated him and cared for him. Always offering to be helpful, always rejected. I wonder if he was always alone like this.

I wondered what he did when he was alone.

AUTHOR'S NOTIFICATION; Ariana

When you take ten years to update. Cause me basically.

Hehe I'm sweepy.

Hugs, Kisses, Cuddles and Serenades xX