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isla, her bedroom in sydney
My phone rings on the table next to my bed.
"Don't answer it," Lydia groans.
She's been sat on my bed for the past two hours, watching RuPaul and trying to catch caramel popcorn in her mouth. I never understood her obsession with the show, but I find it entertaining how invested she is.
"Is it Luke?"
"Luke who?"
"Luke H–"
Before I can say his name, she throws a handful of popcorn at me. Not even one of them come anywhere near me, but end up all over on my bed and floor.
Lydia making a mess distracts me enough to not be able to reach for the phone before she does.
"It's Alex," she says, handing me the phone. "What a shame, I was looking forward to having a rant at the guy who should not be named."
"He's Luke, not Voldemort."
"They're both blue eyed, pale and evil."
I put my finger to my lips to make her go quiet. Comparing Luke to Voldemort is the stupidest thing I have heard.
For one, Luke calls me on the phone to hurt me; Voldemort doesn't own a phone, does he? Second of all, Voldemort doesn't have a nose; Luke has the cutest little nose.
When we were sleeping in the same bed, he'd wake me up by nuzzling it into the back of my neck. I would feel the tip of his pointy nose against my cheek as he'd press little kisses to my face.
No no no. I have to remember the phone calls. The confessions. How much they hurt.
Maybe Lydia is right. Luke left me the same way Voldemort did Harry; with a scar. The only difference is my scar being invisible.
The phone in my hand rings again, Reminding me I should probably answer it instead of comparing Luke to a fictional character.
"Hey, Alex."
"Isla. Need you at the bar tonight, babe. Do you wanna make some money?"
I cross my free arm over my chest. "You fired me, remember?"
"Look, I know," he says. "But we really need you down here. It's so busy tonight and you're the best hostess I have."
"Had," I point out. "
"Look, Isla, please? I can't have my staff drinking with the guests, you know that. You can't blame me for making that decision."
Okay, so he fired me after my little Luke incident. But after a certain band member decided it was his favourite bar, it's become easier to get people through the door. I know I shouldn't have been drinking with guests during work hours, but he could at least give me some credit.
"As long as I get paid, and get to keep all the extra I get."
"If you promise not to get drunk or leave early with my celebrity guests, we have a deal."
"I'm on my way."
"You always were my favourite," he says before hanging up on me.
When I put the phone down, Lydia shakes her head at me. "Keep your legs closed tonight."
"Don't worry, my thick thighs are doing a really good job at that already."
"Then how did the lanky boy who shall not be named manage to get them to open?"
"I don't know," I shrug my shoulders at her question. "I guess he could Slytherin."
"Isla! Ew!" she shrieks, scrunching her nose in disgust. She pushes the bag of popcorn away. "You've killed my appetite."
"I thought we were making Hogwarts puns?"
"Not graphic ones about him slipping around in your vagina!"
"You've just made it worse!"
"Oh god, how do I remove this mental image?"
I reach for my work dress in my wardrobe. The zipper is a little worn out, but I'm hoping it will be alright for tonight.
"I dunno, just think about something else."
"I can't!"
"You shouldn't have asked about Luke, then," I say. Pushing the fabric up my legs, I instantly regret my decision to accept Alex's job offer. I've completely forgotten how much I hate this dress.
"Luke who?"
"Never mind. Are you staying here tonight or do I have to kick you out?"
"Staying here. I'm making sure there won't be any Slytherin action."
"I prefer a Hufflepuff, babe," I say, winking at her as I grab my things. "They put in all the hard work."
"Watch out for the creeps!" She just laughs at me, rushing out the door. "Love you, bye!"
Pressing the ground floor button in the lift, I take a look at myself in the mirror. This dress is a little too tight around the stomach, and it doesn't quite hold everything in. But somehow, it makes me feel confident. With some good lighting and the right angle, my bum looks good. It's on the verge of sexy.
I take a quick selfie, thanking this lift for having full body mirrors.
Would Luke regret hurting me if he saw me like this?
I shake the thought away. Luke who? I don't know him anymore.
