SINCE DAY ONE ― luke hemmings ✓

7

"Can somebody in this fucking room tell me why she's the band's photographer?" Luke blurted out harshly as he snapped to his three other best friends who kept looking left and right, asking for some answers to the question that no one seemed to know how to answer. "How could anybody let it happen? Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" The rage in his voice reverberated in the conference room where they were left alone by their manager, the label head, and Theo and Kyle.

"Hey, when we came here, we didn't know. We even asked her if she's sure about it." Mike tries to level with his best friend but his rage was too fueled to be burned out.

"Which she apparently is—"

"She tried to get out of it." Calum, even if it annoyed him to say, had to tell him. He knew why Theo didn't tell him, knew why she and Kat were outside talking, it's because they kept egging on her to think about it and the mere sight of Luke caused her to finalized the decision. Calum felt slightly guilty of why his old best friend he treated like a sister wants to get out even if she never meant for all this to happen.

"What do you know about it? For all we know she's just there for money or whatever." Luke snapped once again as he propped down on the swivel chair.

"Luke Hemmings, don't even go there." Ashton finally speaks up.

"Oh, so now you're taking her side?" Ashton stood up at the tone Luke made and he walk in the middle of the room to finally end this discussion and water down the flame in his head.

"No. I'm not taking her side, or any of anyone's side. We know she did something horrible to you and we already hate her enough for it. But don't think for a second she wanted money or fame. Theo never did it even for a second, and I believe she's not the person you perceive her to be just because you hate her the most." Luke rolled his eyes but can't help but to feel guilty as well when she spoke ill of her. She deserves it to say the least, but then again, as a person he once loved and had known for almost seven damn years, she didn't. "She could've never meant for this to happen, and Cal might be right when he told us she tried to get out of it. But she's bound to the same contract we're in, and it's not up to us whether we like her in or out."

Ashton looked at Luke who's now staring away from oblivion and almost felt bad that he had to go through this thing again. Of having to go about his day and remembering every single thing about her even if he didn't want to anymore. Ashton didn't want Luke to spiral down into the hole of nothingness again and sure were these three boys going to do whatever it takes not to.

-

"So, that settles it? Media advertisements online and posters. Promotional shoots. Tour shoots and video diaries!" Kat binded together the contracts in one envelope and once it was signed and sealed, Theo's fate was sealed with it.

Three months of keeping herself away from the boy as much as possible. Three months of continuing her medications to avoid breaking down in the midst of being merely around them. Three months of keeping her heart safely glued to the contents of its walls just to keep it from falling and breaking into tiny little pieces that it might not just fix it up on its own the next time it breaks.

Just three mont hs, and she gets to walk away and continue living the life she had imagined to have after the nightmare.

The conference ended and Theo pushed herself to be the first to get out of the room without a second spared. She knew someone was following her and found out it was Kyle with a playful smile on his face. "They seemed to be easy to deal with, don't you think?" He quips as they walk towards the elevator and waited for it to open. "I mean, it's really good for starting again photographers like you, and a good practice to me as well!" He was chirpier than she wanted since she's still dealing with something traumatic as working with someone she managed to hurt, but then again, didn't want to leave him hanging.

"Yeah, I know. They're great people. You'll like them." Theo can't help but slightly smile through her words as she describe the four boys who managed to make her life so much exciting than it was. How she managed to have older brothers and best friends all at the same time, and how they treated her like a princess and protected her at all costs.

Theo remembers the days she was well, and had wished she cherished the moment before it was completely gone.

The elevator dinged and open, both photographers entering. Theo saw the boys making their way to the elevator and silently wishing they take the next ride but Kyle beside her just had to be so... kind. "Hey, 5SOS! Come ride with us. We'll fit, yeah." The boys refused the offer the first time but as Kyle insisted it, Theo found herself pushed far back against the wall beside Kyle, with everything being covered with a thick cloud of tension and awkwardness. "Oh, Theo. There's this really good diner downtown. They have really good waffles there." Kyle said with intentions of it being a whisper but came out as his regular voice.

She only nod just for him to finally stop when he spoke again, "It's called—wait—oh! Pine House Diner! Hope they're good though." There was it. The thick air breaking as the vocalist's shoulder tensed with the mention of their favorite diner.

"Kyle?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Kyle laughs as if it was an insanely great joke and as soon as the elevator door opened, the four instantly made their way out with Kyle still laughing and shaking his head like a damn lunatic. "What the hell was that?" She turned and expected him to have a valid explanation when he stopped laughing, and instill a genuine smile on his face.

"I tested a theory." He fumbled in his back pocket and raised what looked like a yellow receipt—Theo's receipt from the day she saw Luke at the diner and was quick to grab it away from him. "It fell from the cafeteria and with the whole meeting going so wrong, I figured it had something to do with the band and you."

"Now you have your conclusion, can I go now?" She raises her brow to show she's annoyed at what he did but he just smiled there.

"Not until you take me to that diner and let me know all the fuss about you and that Hemmings boy!"