outlines ✰ l.h.

chapter eight

"I mean, I can go," I said, getting the idea from his words that he didn't actually want me over. "If you want." I added, which got him to stop in his tracks, making me nearly bump into him.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that." He chuckled. He rolled his eyes, "Jesus, Andy. I'm messing around with you ninety percent of the time." He told me, giving me an assuring smile. He seemed a lot more gentle and laid back today, it was nice to see this side of him.

"Leave me alone, I'm convinced the world hates me." I huffed, spilling to him about my own irrational fear that everyone of my friends actually thinks I'm pretty annoying and only hang around me because I tell lame jokes sometimes.

"I don't hate you." Luke softly said, turning back around as we reached the top of the stairs.

I stayed quiet as well as he did as he led the way to his room. He pushed the door open and held it as I walked inside, somewhat awkwardly standing by his dresser just examining his room.

His walls were bare and white, a few black smudges on them from what looked like some of his furniture banging up against the wall. I expected his room to be covered in posters of half naked girls and cool cars, maybe some early 2000s rock back that Luke enjoyed so much. But then again, I had no idea what a teenage boy's room was supposed to look like as I had never seen a boy in their natural habitat from the lack of siblings I had.

"This is probably weird," Luke spoke up as he walked near me. My hand had clung around my upper arm, rubbing over it to keep my hands busy so I hadn't felt out of place. "But I'm taking a shower because I probably wreak." He pulled out a drawer and collected a handful of clothes.

"You do." I agreed with him, even though he really didn't and was just trying to push his buttons. It had become my new favorite thing to do with him.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Shut up, Emerson." He lightly shoved one of my shoulders which I instantly did right back.

"Just go take your shower." I laughed. He stepped back from me, his innocent smile changed to a smirk as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Don't touch anything." He raised a finger at me then gestured to basically his whole room as if I didn't understand what he was trying to get at.

"I won't." I said, giving him a fake smile and nodding at him once.

He left the room, leaving me in a minute of silence before the faint sound of running water began. I sighed and glanced around his room again, it all seemed very empty from what I expected. Not that I had been thinking about what this kid's room looked like, but at the moment it was different than I thought.

His bed was neatly made and that drew me to sit on it. I crossed my leg on top of my other as I tugged the end of my dress down to cover my legs up more. I let them dangle off the edge of his bed as I pulled at the thread on his blanket to keep me occupied.

There wasn't much to Luke, or at least for the time that I known him. He had a good head of hair and a bubblegum smile, but that couldn't mask his intimidating stance and edgy personality. I described Luke in these ways since that seemed to be his outer shell, the outline of himself. He had moments were he was all too genuine and kind and it made me realize that I had to dig a lot deeper with this boy.

My stare on his dull carpeted floor broke when I heard the water shut off, reminding me that there was a naked boy the room over and that was what had made my cheeks burn. I snickered to myself which soon was interrupted by the sound of a blow drier. I narrowed my eyes at his bedroom door and shook my head, keeping in mind that Luke was in fact a "pretty boy".

I fell back onto his bed, stretching my legs out and crossing my ankles over each other. Luke had suddenly yet quietly walked through the door which nearly made me jump. I sat up on my elbows to face him as he finished tying the strings on his sweatpants and rolling the sleeves on his t-shirt.