invisible string ✾ lrh

0.3 - started

It's not your fault, he'd promise, this is between them. It's not you.

And when she'd brokenly whisper back that she was afraid she'd be alone forever, that she'd end up like her parents, he would always promise her, you'll have me. I'm not going anywhere, which was a promise that a now fifteen-year-old boy should not be making to a now fifteen-year-old girl, but he didn't understand the weight of his words back then.

It took him a very long time to understand that his words were more than just words. And he realized too late that he had unintentionally spoken many empty promises to the girl he vowed to never hurt.

"Is she going to come hang out with us later, then? I want to see my Mary-girl," Ashton spoke rather excitedly, as he had gotten word from the girl herself about the divorce, and he felt more obligated than ever to make her smile and giggle and hopefully forget about her problems, at least for a few moments.

Luke had to mentally tell himself to not roll his eyes or grit his teeth at the nickname Ashton had given to his best friend. He shrugged half-heartedly, "M'not sure."

"Well if she does show up," Michael perked up, "are you finally going to make a move on her?"

Luke almost dropped the guitar that was in his hands as his jaw went slack and his eyes widened, "Wh- what're you-"

"C'mon, mate," Ashton grinned mischievously, "Don't play dumb."

"Why would I make a move on her?"

"'Cos you like her," Calum spoke, shoveling a mound of fruit snacks into his mouth as he continued, "And you can't really deny it anymore."

"I don't like her."

"Yes you do."

"What makes you so sure?"

Michael snorted, "Bro, we're not dumbasses."

"You're barely ever even at school, Mike," Luke fought back, "You very well might be a dumbass."

"Hey!" Michael defended, "I didn't mean like that. I just mean that you make it painfully obvious, and we all think that it's time that you man up and do something about it."

Luke rolled his eyes, "Are you guys pranking me? Is that what this is? Is it because I ditched practice the other day to finish my homework? Because I had to. I didn't have much of a choice."

"No, dude. Can you just answer my next question honestly?" Calum leaned forward in his chair, his mouth still filled with fruit snacks.

"Can you swallow what's in your mouth first?"

"That's what she said," Michael retorted, earning a few whoops and a high five from Calum himself.

"You guys are children," Ashton scolded.

Luke rolled his eyes but said, "Fine. One question," anyway.

"Do you, or do you not, like Marigold Insley?"

There was a silence so deafening that Michael had to stop fiddling with the guitar that was resting in his hands and Ashton had to put his drumsticks down. Calum stopped mid-chew and started at his blonde friend expectantly.

Luke looked down at his guitar as he felt his face get hot. He almost wanted to cry, because he hadn't admitted his crush to anyone and he was scared, so scared of what would happen once he finally let himself outwardly feel what he felt for her, because if she didn't feel the same back, they'd both lose their person. He tried to convince himself that he was more worried about her losing him than the other way around, but he was selfishly trying to withhold his feelings because he was pretty sure he'd be a lost puppy without her at his house everyday, because he had gotten so used to her sleeping in his arms that the few times his mother had caught them and forced her to move to the couch, he hadn't been able to sleep and had spent every waking moment listening through the door to make sure she was okay in the living room.