The Runaways

Chapter Five

"So.. Who are you? Who is Skyler Ripton?" Luke asks in a dramatic, talk-show host voice. He props up on his elbow, to look me in the eyes.

  I try so hard not to laugh at him. "She's just some nobody. There's not much to tell about her."

    Luke keeps the same over-excited attitude, though, staring at me while holding out an imaginary microphone.

    Rolling my eyes, I shove the "microphone" down.

    "Okay..Uhm. My name is Skyler Jane Ripton. I'm 15 years old, and I attended Hillcrest High School. Uhm.. The end," I flash a smile at him.

   "Oh no, you're not done," Luke says, "Uh, what are some hobbies of yours? Any siblings?"

   I sigh. "No siblings, and singing and drawing, I guess?"

    "Very nice," Luke says as he applauds.

      "Shhh! We're supposed to be asleep," I chuckle as I stop his hands from moving. After a second, I realize I'm still holding his hands, and quickly let them go.

    "Well, you know, I still don't know anything about this Luke Dunham character."

    I cross my arms. "Full name? Age? School? Hobbies? Siblings? Ready, set, go," I quickly say as I smile.

      "Okay, okay.. Uh, Luke Andrew Dunham. 17. Northport High. Uh.. fighting? I guess? And one older brother," he says as fast as he can.

     I stare at him. "Fighting? Like, a wrestling team?"

      Luke doesn't keep eye contact. "Well, not exactly. But it's not like I fight for fun. I just kick it in gear when there's trouble, but trouble seems to follow me, so, ya know, I cope with it." He smirks.  "Trouble?" Who am I dealing with?

"Wait.. Now that I think about it, that man who was trying to kidnap you was the only trouble I've gotten into today," he says proudly.

  I stand and stare at him in disbelief.

   "But that was my fault. If I hadn't

had been stupid, then you might not have a black eye right now."

    Luke stands up as well, eye to eye with me. "It wasn't your fault. I got into it and I'm glad I did.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be here right now."

     I turn away from him slightly, crossing my arms.
"Luke.. Why?"

  He's confused. "Why what?"

  "Why me? Why do you even bother with me? I'm not rich, I'm not special, and you don't even know what kind of person I am. You don't know what I've done. I can't do anything right. I'm a terrible person."

  There's a silence for what seems like eternity.

   Then I hear Luke's voice.

   "Skyler, Look at me," Luke turns me to face him.

    "I care about you, okay? I met you less than a day ago, and I already know for a fact that you're an amazing person. You're going to think I'm lying, but when I walked into that restaurant and saw you, my mind went blank, except for you. I-I don't  know.. I just feel like I need you in my life. But I mean- I can't even explain it."

   "But how are you so nice to me?" I mumble as a tear falls down my cheek. I sniff to try and stop it.

"No, please, don't cry," Luke says as he wipes it away with his thumb. I wince when he brushes one of my bruises.

    "Did the that freakazoid hit you today?" he whispers.

    "Yeah.." I lie.

   "I'm sorry.."

   We both lie back down on our beds and try to fall asleep.

   "You know," Luke hesistantly says as he props up to look at me again. "You're not a very good liar."

    Should I really tell him? No.

    Am I going to?

  "My dad's been abusing me since I was eleven. Recently, I was starting to fight back, so he got more depressed. He drinks even more. I cover up the bruises and scrapes with makeup, which I have none of right now. That's where the bruises came from, and that's why I ran away." I don't look at him as I speak. "There."

   Luke looks mortified. He wraps his arms around me in a hug, then kneels next to the bed, his hand resting on mine.

   "I'm so sorry," Luke says, "I had no idea."

   "You couldn't have. It's not your fault."

     "Okay, I'll make it up to you. I'm about to spill my life-story, so grab a pen."

      "You don't have t-" I try to say, but Luke continues.

   "Alright. When I was fifteen, my parents divorced. My mom does drugs, Dad is just messed up. I have an older brother. My parents fought over only his custody. My dad lost the case, so I was sent to live with him. Walk everywhere, find food, get a job. I did that for about a year. I couldn't take it anymore, so I made this big plan to run away, buy my own place, get married, have some kids. Kinda stupid plan, now that I think about it.."

    I shake my head.

     "Not stupid."

   We talk for hours until we both are taken by exhaustion.