Paralyzed ▹ Luke Hemmings

08

After his laughter died down, Luke's dad must've realized that his son didn't find his words all that humorous. "...Are you?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"No." Luke said angrily, balling his bed sheets between his fist. "I never stalked her, dad. I just have a crush on her."

With a burst of sour encouragement, Luke sat up straight and rolled his shoulders back, puffing his chest out like Ashton always did. "In fact, I'm going to her house in about an hour."

Luke's dad seemed surprised. "What? Really?"

"Yeah," Luke spat. "I'm her chemistry tutor."

"Chemistry?" his father whined, followed by a few tsk's. "Dang it, Luke. You can't get anywhere if your talking about chemistry."

Luke was down right offended. Chemistry is his specialty, and pretty much the only way Luke will ever talk to the love of his life. Isn't that enough for his dad?

"Well...well," he was struggling to find the right comeback. "Well actually, for your information, dad, we have a lot of chemistry. Romantic chemistry. Yeah, that's right. That's why I'm her chemistry tutor. Get it?"

His father was silent for a while. "...Really."

"Listen, dad. I have to go," Luke stood up and started pacing around his bedroom. "I - I don't have any romantic chemistry with her, okay? Just let me figure it out."

Luke's dad sighed, and began to go off on a long, drawn-out goodbye, but Luke didn't have the patience to listen. He hung up and threw the phone onto this bed, groaning as he kicked the wall in frustration. He grabbed his car keys and stormed out of his room. "I'm going, mom!"

Liz walked out of the kitchen as Luke entered the living room. "Right now?" she asked. "Did you talk to your father?"

"Yes, and he's a dick now."

"Luke!"

"What?" he whined, stomping his foot. "He was making fun of me and Sam!"

Liz started toying around with the dishrag she clutched in her hands. "Why?"

"Because, like I said, he's a dick." Luke turned and yanked the front door open. "I'm going to Chick-Fil-A."

Luke stormed out of his house and pressed the button on his keys as he made it to the driveway, unlocking is black Jeep. He's had this car forever but he usually never drives it. Because, well, let's face it: he never really has anywhere to go.

Blasting Pierce The Veil to help him connect with his inner teen angst, Luke drove to the Chick-Fil-A with his fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel.

His dad's comments really got to him, as they have been for a while, now. He can't really remember what his dad was like when he was little, but Luke was aware that his father has definitely changed over the years. He didn't let it get to him because he didn't see the point; he never sees his dad, anyways.

-

Luke decided to use the drive-thru today. He spent a good 45 minutes in the Chic-Fil-A parking lot, sitting in his car as he ate a chicken sandwich and listened to his music on shuffle.
He also creeped on all the popular kids' social media accounts, as that is ironically his favorite thing to do. Not because he was actually interested in their lives (minus Samantha), but because he liked to talk shit to make him feel better about himself.

He flipped through Sam's snapchat story first. The first part was a video from last night: she was sitting in the passenger seat of Ashton's car as they drove down the highway (traveling way over the speed limit, Luke might add), blasting Fetty Wap with the windows down.