Cigarettes

Chapter 10

"That was quick." I smiled. "I almost feel like you brought me all the way here just to see your neighbor."

"Partly because of that." he let me know, looking in front of him as we started walking back. "And partly because I just love this place." his head turned back to the playground. He was wearing a grey beanie over his hair and I couldn't help but think he looked adorable like that. The few strands of his hair sticking out were not helping me either.

"Okay" I started, bringing back his attention. "Now that I went where you wanted to go, it's your turn to go with me." I smiled proudly at the idea.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked, seeming to not mind that he has to go with me.

"Well not so far from here lives my aunt and my cousin, so let's visit them!" I chimed and grabbed Luke's upper arm to pull him into the street on our left. He followed me and we continued walking.

"Where do they live?" he asked smiling.

"About three minutes from here." I pointed to the big white house with the red roof in the distance. "The big white one."

"That's not really far!" Luke happily exclaimed.

"I told you our definions of 'not far' are different" I laughed at his again excited expression. I liked this version of Luke. He was relaxed, excited and just happy. He was a joy to be with when he was like that.

Then he lit up a cigarette.

I frowned. "Luke" I started with a displeasing expression on my face but I tried to pull it back. I didn't want to seem childish and clingy.

"Ugh Lay, we're outside you can't even smell it!" Luke defended and held on to the cigarette with another hand to put it further away from me.

"It's not even that... My cousin is 4, I don't- I mean," I started but he threw the cigarette to the floor and stepped on it to turn it out. I looked at it on the ground and then confusedly looked at Luke.

"You have a baby cousin? For God's sake Lay why didn't you tell me earlier, kids mustn't smell smoke, ugh, shit. Have you got any perfume with you? I'll smell like a girl but that's okay at least it's not the smell of cigarettes, gah no-" Luke rambled, trying to rub off the smell from his coat and spitting in the grass a few times to get rid of the breath.

I looked at him, stunned.

I caught his upper arm now not wanting to drag him but just hang onto it. "You're so worried, it's cute." it slipped and I slapped my mouth. He didn't say anything, he just looked down at me holding his arm. I looked at where his eyes were and then immediately let go of his arm, embarrassed.

"It's okay." he said before I could apologize. I didn't know what to say so I changed the subject.

"We're here." I smiled and ran to the door. He jogged behind me, waiting for me to knock.

Instead I rang the bell and we waited for a couple of seconds until my aunt finally opened the door.

"Aunt Anna!!" I yelled excitedly and hugged her.

"Layie!" she yelled my old nickname and hugged me back. "What brings you here?"

"We were in the neighborhood so I made him stop by with me!" I laughed looking back at Luke who was standing behind, awkwardly rocking on his heels with his hands in his pockets.

"Who's this?" Anna asked and smiled kindly at Luke. Just as I wanted to introduce them, Chloe, my 4 year old cousin ran behind Anna right into my thighs, hugging them tightly.

"WAYVA!" she screamed, purposely saying my name wrong.

"Chloe!" I said back and clenched down to hug her. She looked over my shoulder up at Luke who was still quietly standing behind me.

"Who's this? He's big." Chloe tried to whisper but just as most kids at her age, she couldn't.

"This is Luke." I said both to Chloe and Anna and stood up to wave my hand towards Luke.

"Hi Lewi." Chloe smiled and walked up to him.

"Hey Chloe." Luke smiled and instead of shaking her hand, he spun her around like a ballerina which made Chloe laugh and jump into his arms.

I remembered Luke spinning me around like that when we first met, he said it was a habit of his because he always did that when he saw his little neighbor.

Then Luke held out his hand for Anna to shake, holding Chloe in his other hand.

"Hey, I'm Luke." Luke introduced himself again and Anna shook his hand.

"Hello, Luke. Nice to meet you! Come in both of you." Anna invited us and closed the door behind us once we came in. She pointed Luke to the living room and he passed next to me to go in the room. "I hope she won't smell the cigarettes." he whispered in my ear so Anna doesn't hear. He then walked there with Chloe in his hands, still clinging on his neck and laughing.

Anna stopped my in the middle of the hallway and I looked at her, confused.

"So" she started, smiling like she's just found a great discovery. "What's up with him?" she winked and pointed back at Luke.

I slapped my forehead. How did I not see that coming?

"Nothing, he's just my roommate." I waved her off.

"Roommate? That tall God of a teenage boy with a piercing on his plump lip is your roommate? Does your mum know?" Anna yelled in a whisper so Luke doesn't hear her. I think she was more excited for me than mad.

Anna's young, she's barely 25 so I was never surprised when she made comments like these. Her type of guys floats very closely to the type Luke is so I really should've seen this coming.

"No." I exhaled. "I thought my roommate was a girl. I was surprised when I realized it's not, too. Don't tell mum please, you know she'll make a big deal out of it." I begged her and by the look she gave me I already knew she gave in.

Anna waved me off and we both went to the living room where Luke and Chloe were. We found them on the floor, Luke was sitting with his legs crossed and Chloe was squirming in his lap. Luke was laughing out the top of his lungs to something Chloe did and it made Chloe laugh too.

I liked the sound of Luke's laugh. I've never actually properly heard it, so now I was as quiet as I could be to take it in and remember it.

When they noticed Anna and me in the room Luke took Chloe in his arms again and carried her over to us, smiling widely.

"Getting close, I see?" I laughed and reached for Chloe. She rocked towards me and Luke handed her over and laughed awkwardly.

We spent about two hours at Anna's and then finally decided to leave. When we came out of the house it was already getting darker.

We started walking home, me now having gloves that I took from Anna.

"I've never seen you like that." I admitted, looking at my feet walking.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked. His face looked in thought, but I could tell they were nice thoughts. He just looked peaceful.

"You were a completely different person there with Chloe." I shrugged.

"I was the same person I always am, Lay."

"No, you were nice and happy, you laughed. I've never heard you laugh like that before." I smiled at the memory I saved from a few hours ago.

"Whatever." Luke told me off and lit up a new cigarette, now obviously not having a reason to turn it out.

Wow, the mood swinging Luke is back.

"That was just this one time. Don't get used to it." Luke warned and for the rest of the walk home we stayed silent.

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A/N: WOOOOOH WHAT WAS THAT ??? What do you think happened with Luke back there and why did he get all mood swingy again?