Emi and Luke: Through the Years

3. The First Time He Slept on Her Bedroom Floor

3. The First Time He Slept on Her Bedroom Floor

P.O.V: Emi-Sophia, Aged 10

"And then he said that every time I shut my eyes the monster would get closer to me! So I have to stare under my bed all night or the monster will get me!" I explained to Lukey, even though I had some food in my mouth. Lucille gave me that look that meant, "don't speak with your mouth full or Luke goes home". I frowned and swallowed quickly. 

"Callum's lying, Kiddo! You know there's no such thing as monsters," Luke told me and I pushed a piece of potato around on my plate nervously.

"I know there isn't but still. Mom said we aren't allowed to share a bed anymore because apparently we're getting to old. I told her that I'm only neeeeearly eleven and you're only neeeeearly twelve. But she said that we were definitely getting too old and then she said that she wanted to give you your own bedroom because you're round here so often," I took a deep breath and sighed. Luke had gone a little red but he was looking down at his plate very hard so I knew he didn't want to talk about it.

"There's no monster, Kiddo," he said. As he ate another piece of chicken his face went back to its normal colour. We'd both finished now and Lucille let us go and play. "Do you want me to look under the bed for you now?" Luke asked as we ran upstairs into my room. I eyed the bed. I was scared. If he had a look under there, would it grab him? Take him under there so that I wouldn't see him ever again?

I shook my head. I didn't want my Lukey to disappear. He reached forward and gave me a hug and I held onto him tightly.

"If the monster gets me tonight, you can have all my films and my books. In fact, you can have all my stuff. Except my make-your-own-fairy collection. I want Honor to have that," I decided and I felt and heard Luke sigh.

"You aren't going to die okay, I won't let you. Now, what do you want to do?" Luke said and then we started playing Snakes and Ladders.

***

I was sitting opposite under my window, so that I was facing the side of my bed, where I was able to see under it. I tried to blink as little as possible but it was getting harder and harder and I felt all tired so my eyes were going droopy. I rubbed one of my eyes and kept the other one looking under the bed and then I did the same on the other eye.

Then a banging sound made me jump. I looked around and tried to find where the sound had come from and then squealed quietly when I realised I had taken my eyes away from under my bed. The banging started again and then I realised some was knocking on my door. It could only be one person. Mom and Daddy were in bed and they had already said goodnight. Lucille had gone home. It was Lukey.

"Come in," I called and he opened the door so that the room lit up a little more. It was taking him ages to get in so I looked away from the bed as quickly as possible, just to see what he was doing. He was backing into my room, dragging his duvet and pillows into my room.

"You can stop watching the bed. The monster can't come out until past midnight. It's only ten to twelve now," he said.

"How do you know that?" I whispered.

"Leon told me a long time ago, when I still believed in monsters," he said simply as I climbed back onto my bed. He set up his duvet and pillows on the floor beside the side of the bed that I slept on. "I'll sleep in here tonight, and keep watch on the monster for you so you can sleep." I climbed off the bed and wrapped my arms tightly around him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I whispered and he patted me on the back.

"It's alright. Anything for my best friend," he said proudly. I climbed back into bed again and lay down.

"What happens if you fall asleep? Will it get you, then?" I asked.  

"You don't need to worry about me, Kiddo. I can scare it off!" Luke said and then I lay in bed for a very long time unable to get to sleep. I sat up again and looked down at Luke. He was still awake and looking at the bottom of the bed. I carefully lowered my hand down, so that it was just above where his shoulder was. He reached his hand up, without looking at me, and held mine. Eventually I managed to fall asleep, my hand still being warmed by my best friend's.

"I knew something like this was going to happen," I heard my mom's voice but pretended I was still asleep. I didn't want her to know I was awake, just in case she told us off. I didn't want Lukey to get in trouble for protecting me.

"It's quite sweet really. Perhaps it'd be an idea just to move a bed for Luke in here?" I heard my daddy say. I smiled at the idea but then my mom told him no and the smile left my face.

"This will probably only happen a few times more. He'll move into the bedroom soon enough."