car keys • a.i.

nine

"It's been two weeks, mum. He hasn't called me or anything. I know I'm mad at him but I'm having a bit of Luke-withdrawl."

Luke was Isla's only proper friend. Sure, she had a close group of friends back in high school but everyone went their seperate ways once school ended for them.

"Don't be silly, Isla. If you're that worried about him then stop being lazy and go up to his apartment to check on him."

"But mum, he could have came to me. I'm not going to put the effort in if he isn't." Isla still couldn't get over what had happened, but she knew that it could have been worse. She hadn't given Luke time to explain himself, either.

Luke had texted her multiple times over the past two weeks but she ignored every single one of them. Each one more heart-felt than the last.

"Isla, the window installation guy is here. I have to go, bye honey." And with that, her mother hung up.

-

It had been three hours since the phone call with her mother when Isla heard a muffled knock at her door.

"Who is it," Isla called out from her place on the couch. After hearing no reply, Isla decided to get up and answer it.

She was shocked by what she saw.

"Luke?" she spoke softly, noticing how fragile he looked. His hair was flattened against his head and he was shaking.

"I-I, I won't-t stop sh-shaking Isla," he stuttered.

"Come in," she said before closing her door and leading him over to her sofa. "What the fuck happened to you? Have you been fighting?"

"N-no," he cried. Isla had only seen Luke cry twice in her life - once when his Grandma passed and once when his beloved goldfish died. "I can't st-top d-drinking."

Luke didn't smell like alcohol, although he never did. He always adorned this sweet scent that Isla loved.

"Why did you do this to yourself, Luke? Why didn't you come to me for help?"

"I-I couldn't l-l-leave the hous-se because my mu-mum grounded m-me," he cried. "I tried t-texting you b-b-but you didn't answer."

Guilt suddently washed over Isla like a tsunami and she felt like she couldn't pull herself out of the water to breathe.

Luke had texted Isla various messages along the lines of, 'I'm sorry, Isla. I'm so fucking sorry, I know I messed up. I'm a horrible, horrible person and you don't deserve this shit,' and now she understood that he wasn't just apologising for the Ashton situation.

He was apologising for the damage he was doing to himself.