before the pain | luke (JATP)

XXXIII

"What was that about?" Asked Bobby as he leaned against locker 274 looking at the other boys.

"I think our Mila has a secret admirer," Reggie said as he handed the two lost boys the note, Luke

licked his lips as he felt his heartbeat fasten as he read it. Bobby on the other hand couldn't help but laugh.

"Before you get jealous Lukieboo, I can tell you that handwriting is Daliah"

He was right, when Mila came down to the basement she was greeted by two familiar faces, Daliah and Aera who were standing there waiting for her. As soon as they got eye contact, Mila stopped herself on the stairs.

"What is this?" Mila asked as she raised an eyebrow, the two girls looked at each other before looking back at Mila, who was still standing on the stairs now with her arms crossed.

"You see, we wanted to ask something of you," Aera said, as she took a deep breath, Mila looked at Daliah before looking at Aera sighing. "yes?"

"If you would be so kind.... would you befriend Oliver?" Daliah asked, her voice was almost in a shaking sound, and as Mila looked closer at her, she could see how her eyes were a slight tint of red and puffy.

She had cried

Mila sighed as she walked over to them: "Why would I befriend Oliver Young?" Mila asked, making Aera notice how normally when Mila said Oliver's name, she would get shy or simply not look at her, but now Mila was looking directly into Aera's eyes.

"Because we are worried, he has been acting weird lately and none of us like it" Aera answered, even though Mila didn't mean to send Aera a judging look she could not help it.

"Please just... talk to him?" Daliah begged, as she looked at Mila, who bit her lip thinking her thoughts went to the fight in the parking lot, and then back to the night at the party.

"Why can't Liam do it?" She asked looking at both of them, causing Daliah to look down. "He and Oliver don't... talk anymore... he has lost everyone Mila... I beg of you" Aera said. Mila knew she had to do it.

Not just because Oliver was all alone because of others' mistakes, but because Mila was a part of that mistake. If she hadn't told Oliver, then it wouldn't have happened, Oliver and Liam would still be friends, even when Oliver would find out about the lesbian sex.

"Was that why you wanted me to that party?" Mila asked Daliah, as she crossed her arms, you could almost feel the coldness that Mila gave Daliah, which once again took Aera by surprise.

Daliah nodded slowly as she sighed. "I just want him to be happy... But I know you and Luke are a cou-"

Mila coughed: "Just friends" this caused Aera and Daliah to try not to laugh as they rolled their eyes at that sentence.

"Yes, friends who love each other" Said Aera as she crossed her arms looking at her best friend. Mila closed her eyes as she nodded.

"Fine... I-" Daliah widened her eyes with a huge grin on her face by Mila's words which she interrupted. "You are in love with Luke?"

Mila's widened as she took a step back, her whole face turning red:" N-N-no I was about to say I will talk to Oliver for you"

This caused Daliah to laugh shyly and scratch her neck as she always did, which Mila remembered was one of the many reasons Bobby liked her.

She looked at Aera who bit her lip. "It would mean a lot to me, if you could do it" Mila bit her lip looking at the two girls, she was about to say no when Daliah sighed, rolling her eyes.

"You kind of ruined Liam and Oliver's friendship.... he needs someone to talk to Mila"

So Mila did as told, causing her to in the lunch break, ignore Luke's stares, and instead place her beside Oliver Young at another table. Oliver looked up at her almost in surprise, as he sighed.

"What do you want Mila?" Oliver asked as he ate what looked like badly baked beans, Mila sighed as she placed her head on her hand. "You don't talk with Liam?" She asked bluntly, it didn't however seem to mind him.

"No, why?"

"Well because you are best friends"

"Former best friends"

"So was Aera and I?"

This didn't end as Mila thought as with these words, Oliver stood up looking at her with a stare which could kill.

"Listen Mila I know you don't like me, so why are you acting like all of this has anything to do with you, please leave me alone"

And with that he left the cafeteria, leaving Mila sitting alone sighing, she took a sip from a juice leaning back in her chair, as her eyes went to their table, the boys were laughing and having fun.

What she of course couldn't hear was their conversation, which went something like this:

"You did not kiss her! That makes sense why is so jumpy today then!" Bobby leaned back in his chair shaking his head as he looked at his idiotic best friend.

"Hey! I thought she liked me just a little bit, I didn't know she would start ignoring me" Luke sighed looking down on his food as his thought kept running in his mind, he wondered if he should talk to her, yet decided not to.

"I ruined a perfect friendship"

____________________________

a.n

Hey lovelies!

So the once that keep up with updates have noticed that for the first time, there was a whole week without a chapter.

I am truly sorry about this, in all honestly I felt stressed, school as you all know is hard.

Senior year is killing me more than I thought and this book was my only escape.

Yet as so so so many of you with your lovely comments and likes, I actually got scared to let you all down, to write a bad chapter like this one ...

I am very insecure in my writing and thinking about letting so many people down gave me almost anxiety.

But I am back and I hope you will enjoy the rest of the book, if this happens again, you will know why.

Love and happy reading,
- crystal mei