Ali's POV
I got out of the bathroom with my hair wrapped up in a towel. I enter the kitchen and get an energy bar. I'm wearing ripped skinny jeans and a long sleeved plain white shirt tucked in my jeans and made it baggy along with some bracelets.
As I'm eating my energy bar the events of what happened last night come back to me. I then choke on a chunk of my energy bar and pour myself a glass of water and chug it all down.
"Are you ok?" I turn around to see Luke ready to leave. He walked into the kitchen getting an energy bar too.
"Yeah." I then walk out of the kitchen sitting at the table drinking more water.
We don't talk on the way to school and it is very awkward. I turn on the radio, but it didn't do any help. I look out the window and look at all the people passing us by. It's weird to think that one of them could be having the best day of their life or the worst.
Luke parks at the usual spot he parks at but he didn't get out. I kind of stay there awkwardly because I know what's going to happen right now.
"Ali," he sighs, "about last night. I hope I didn't make you feel awkward. I don't know what came over me." I swing my head to look at him and he does too.
"It's ok. Let's just pretend that didn't happen." I say.
"Yeah." He says.
"I bet this kind of things happen a lot." I say trying to lighten the mood and I hit him playfully on his arm and get out of the car. He doesn't get out right away but I just leave him alone and walk inside of the school.
----
We're playing volleyball in gym and all three of my girls are in my gym class. This is how I met them. We decided to be in the same team along with some other girls. We start to play and I swear me, Andy, Jess, and even Skylar are doing all the work. The other girls aren't doing anything. The ball would go directly to them, but they would dodged it.
We get to sit on the bleachers to wait to do another game so we decide to talk. By talking I mean Skylar and Andy arguing about something me and Jess don't understand.
"So, are we going to your apartment today?" Jess asks me.
"No, I got evicted." I say.
"What?" she asks concerned. "Where are you staying?"
"Luke's." I say.
"Oh ok," she nods, "wait, what?" she asks. I guess she didn't process it at first.
"I'm staying at Luke's apartment." I say again not making a big deal out of it.
"Um, he doesn't mind, does he?" she asks.
"No, he's the one that offered. Why?" I ask.
"Well you two don't exactly get along." she says a little quieter.
"Yeah," I sigh, "well, better than nothing." I say. She shrugs agreeing with me and we continue to listen to Andy and Skylar’s argument. When they finish I think Andy won because she has a smile on her face and Skylar is pouting. The bell rings and I decide to ditch school. This is about the fifth time I did this. I should get a metal. That isn't nearly as much as I did in my other school
Luke's POV
I, the boys, and Ali's friends are heading out of the school as we always do when the school day ends.
"Where's Ali?" Calum asks Andy.
"Oh, she ditched school." she says shrugging her shoulders like it was normal.
I don't say anything, but I want to know more.
"Why?" Ashton asks her excluding himself from Michael.
"I don't know. If she really doesn't feel like being at school she just leaves." Jess says.
I get into my car and look at the passenger's seat. I sit just looking at the seat. After a while I pull out of the parking lot and go to my apartment. It's empty and quiet. I make popcorn and sit on the couch to start to watch a movie.
Somewhere in the middle of the movie I finished my popcorn and I feel asleep. I open my eyes slowly and look at the window which leads to the balcony. I stand up and turn off the TV. I pull my fingers through my hair and as I'm about to go to my room I glance over to Ali's. Without realizing I'm at her door turning the knob.
I open the door slightly and peak through. I see her bed, but it looks untouched. I open the door fully and see it's empty. I enter her room and look at her digital clock. 3:30 AM.
"Shit." I whisper to myself. I run down to my car and I jump in. As I'm driving in the streets I tap my fingers on my steering wheel. Why do I even bother looking for her?
Ali's POV
I'm sitting alone in the cold ice cream shop eating my ice cream I bought. I look down at it and finish the last of it. I don't know why, but I don't feel like myself right now. I don't know if it's the coldness in here or the dark, but I'm not sure what I'm feeling. My heart starts beating and my hands start to sweat.
"Excuse me Miss, but I have to close the shop." an elderly women says to me.
"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry." I say standing up.
I throw away my cup and I start to walk around outside. My heart starts to beat faster and faster. What the hell is going on with me? I then feel a hand on my shoulder and I freeze. I turn around slowly to see who it is.
"Well, well. Isn't it Ali." my eyes widen when I focus on his face. I jump at him attacking him with a hug.
"Jay! I missed you so much! What're you doing here?" I yell at him still hugging him tightly.
"It wasn't the same without you. So I decided to come here." he says hugging me too.
"God, how'd you get the money to come here?" I ask him.
"Well, that's for me to know isn't it?" I let go of him.
"You're such a dork." I say hitting his arm. "Where do you live?" I ask.
"Over there." he points to an apartment building. "I room with this guy I met at the airport." he shrugged.
"Ah man, I missed you!" Throwing my arms around his neck again.
"I missed you too." I feel him smile into my hair. "Want me to walk you home?"
"Sure." I smile at him. He puts his arm around me like he use to do all the time.
As we're walking this car pulls up beside us and out comes Luke.
Luke?
"Ali! Where've you been?" Luke asks getting out of his car and standing next to me. "Who's this?" He whispers to me.
"It's Jay." I whisper back.
"Hi, I'm Luke." he says putting his arm out for a hand shake.
"I'm Jason. But everyone calls me Jay." he says shaking Luke's hand. Luke then turns back to me.
"Where were you?" he asks again.
"I was at Ben and Jerry's."
"Ben and Jerry's? Why would you go to an ice cream shop at this hour?" he asks.
"Does it matter? It’s not like I have a curfew or anything.” I say back.
There was a huge silence. None of us talked. We all just stood there. I don't know why Luke was so worried. I mean like it's not like it's the end of the world if I stay out late. It's a Friday.
"Well, then." Luke says breaking the silence. "Do you need a ride home?" he asks Jay.
"Um, no I'm good." Jay says.
"C'mon Jay." I say dragging him in the car. We both sit in the back seat while Luke gets in the driver's seat. He starts to drive and put on the radio.
"So, how do you guys know each other?" Luke asks making small talk.
"Well, we've been friends since the beginning of time." Jay answers.
"Oh, that's cool." Luke says. "Neighbors?"
"Yeah. Sort of." I answer this time. We were quiet the rest of the ride. When we reach his apartment I move up to the front seat. He starts to drive again and it's quiet.
"Andy told me you skipped school today." Luke said.
"Yeah, so?" I ask.
"How many times have you skipped school?"
"About five." I say after a couple minutes of silence.
"Five times?" Luke asks a little loudly.
"I said about." I point out.
"Ali you can't do that." he tells me.
"Who do you think you are? You're not my parent." I say in defense.
"Ali, I thought you came here for a new start. You aren't really having a new start if you're doing all the wrong choices again." Luke says in concern.
"I never told you that." I say a little quieter.
"You didn't have to. Why else would you go to the other side of the world alone?"
"Why do you care anyways?" that's all I can say in defense because he's right.
"Because you're my friend and I won't have a delinquent in my home." he says jokingly. A laugh escapes my lips, and soon after Luke begins to laugh along with me.
"I am not a delinquent."
Author's Note-
So, do you guys like the ship name LALI ?
Creds to @anotherhopeful for the name!!!