Please Take Me Home

Reckless Abandon - Part Three

He had sort of dismissed Michael entirely. Like as he had before things got complicated.

Luke was a little more reserved nowadays. Michael has walked off the face of the earth, without even saying a goodbye. Its not like they even became that close again, Luke thought to himself. All that had happened between them was a few awkward encounters, a kiss, CD and a movie night. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The funny thing, Luke thought, that it was like they never happened. It was like it was just a dream, that nothing was real. Every time that Luke was convinced that it was he'd look for Nothing Personal by All Time Low and relax, because that was enough proof that Michael really had been there.

Ashton and Cal were still his friends; rather, they were still friendly to him. Luke often found himself retreating back into the library, mostly just to escape Calum, only because Luke didn't feel like he could handle him and to blare his music in his eardrums. With having even less of a social life than he did before, he was acing all his subjects, much to his mum's pleasure.

Luke also found that his mum was a little more bearable now too. They weren't talking at each other but to each other. His mum knew that he was still hiding something. But Liz knew with whatever it was that Luke, her only son, would end up telling her in his own time, when it became too much for him.

The year was ending.

People were changing,

And Luke was counting the days that went by that he didn't spend with Michael.

***

leaving for the time being.

6 weeks top.

don't call the police or I won't come back.

-m

Michael write the note after making his way back home, picking the pieces after recovering from his bender.

He knew his mum, Karen, wouldn't go into hysterics.

Michael had to leave. He needed to leave.

Michael needed some time to sort things out without destroying other people's lives. If he stayed things would only get worse.

...And so he left.

***

"You're so depressing today, Luke." Ashton said, trying to lighten the mood but when seeing that he failed to do so, laughing nervously. "I didn't mean for that to be an insult-"

"Yeah I know man." Luke gave Ashton a smile; he knew he was a downer.

Calum wasn't with them at school today. It wasn't that the boys minded, it just was a little refreshing for it to be just them, as they didn't know each other as well as they both knew Calum.

"All seriousness though, you okay?" Ashton's gaze was fixed on Luke's and he could see that the other boy wasn't kidding. Ashton was the friend that you could trust.

"Yeah, I'm just so tired all the time, can't wait until the holidays."

"I feel you, man. We should do something."

Both of the boys knew that they would most likely not end up doing anything together. Luke didn't leave the house most of the time and Ashton looked after his younger siblings, but it was nice to leave it out there.

"Y-yeah", Luke said, finally smiling, "We totally should."

***

Michael should have brought a jacket.

He was able to sell the remaining weed he had and get enough money to travel somewhere significant. If Michael was honest with himself, he was a little scared of smoking it before falling asleep again. The dream he had still felt so real and he kept having reoccurring dreams. He'd wake up; on the bus or train shelter he chose to crash at cold and covered in sweat.

Michael also needed a shower.

Where Michael was, as far away as it was to his home, he couldn't believe it, he had made it into a different state and settled into a new city.

Somewhere new, it had always seemed like a good fresh start.

Michael had absolutely no money on now and didn't fancy becoming even more homeless as he was. He knew that he should start looking for a job before he looked too scary, (homeless looking).

He noted that he needed a haircut; one thing led to another and that's how found Gaskarth&Barakat hairdressing.

Michael knew he had no talent but the older, but not by much, men took him in as an apprentice, all Michael really ended up doing for the next couple of weeks was washing customers hair and working at the cashier.

He was lucky, real lucky, to be working for Alex and Jack. They paid him and let him in, for the time that Michael stayed. He was able to shower and buy new clothes as he only brought the pair he wore. He knew he was lucky, considering the nightmares he had and how close he came to going out and looking for a place to get a bigger hit, but they nursed him in the middle of the night. Alex and Jack were good to him and they saw Michael as a little brother.

Six weeks turned into months and everyday it was hard for Michael. He sent a letter to his mum, just to let her know that he wasn't dead, not that the workaholic would notice...

Michael knew he had to get back someday or at least contact someone.

Alex and Jack had learnt a lot about Michael in the last six months that they had cared for him. They knew that he was going to leave them soon, to continue with school but they knew of Luke, as that was the name Michael would whimper in the night, when he was having a particularly bad one. They also ignored the copious amount of cigarettes that ended up in the bin, garden and draws and the rolled up spiffs that were hidden among Michael's stash.

They knew that Michael was slowly recovering and understood; they had been teenagers not to long ago too, why he needed the relaxer every now and then.

*

So Michael never called Luke and Liz doesn't know about Michael okay...

I feel like this is really cheesy so I apologize.

...And sorry for the really long wait too.

I have added in Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat, but they are their own character and not in 'All Time Low'.

I hope that isn't too confusing.

I won't be doing another 'Part Whatever'; the chapters will resume as normal.

This has 2.4k reads, that's so amazing omg

Thank you all so much xox

Please don't kill me if there are any typos...there always are.

Comment what you thought about this chapter, good or bad, I love to hear from you. *

- asphyxiationxo