LUKE.

I didn't know what the hell I was getting myself into. Why I decided to let Ari take the reigns on this hang out was definitely the workings of the devil or the demon ghost thing from Paranormal Activity, because instead of eating at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, we were walking through a dark, sketchy alleyway.

"Ari, where are we going?" I anxiously asked her. She was several feet away from me, deep in an eerie alley while I stayed closer to the sidewalk where all the light was.

She turned around, "to eat the best pizza ever. Now come on Hemmings, you said you were down. Put on your big boy pants and hurry. I can smell the pepperoni from here."

Ari threw her hands to her hips, letting one pop out with sass. I hesitated, contemplating whether this was a good idea or a terrible one. Alleyways screamed homicide, and I've seen enough episodes of Law & Order to know better. But I took a step forward. And another one. And another one. Until I was walking completely at will to the tiny Asian before me.

"You can smell the pepperoni from here," I took a deep breath in, letting the mouth-watering aroma tickle my nose. I felt my stomach grumble, and I suddenly realized how hungry I was. I had forgotten. My head was so wrapped around the idea of being in a new and contrasting place that food was put at the back of my mind - very odd to say the least.

"Through here Hemmings," Ari pointed to an old set of iron doors. The tops were rounded, and each door was detailed with intricate, cross-hatched designs. Even the bolts that adorned the barricade became a necessary component to the 18th century feel.

Ari grasped one of the handles and pulled the door open. The mixture of cool air and warm smells hit my body, as I was face to face with a long, narrow, dim hallway. Ari walked in first and I followed suit. As we reached the end of the hall, I saw that it opened to a very large cafe. On one side was the retail area - cashiers, chalkboard menu on the wall, milk steamers, and a lighted display case filled with desserts. On the opposite side, were several mismatched couches, cushioned chairs, and the entire wall was made completely out of bookshelves.

People of all ages sat comfortably on the couches, lounging with a book in their hands and a drink to the side. As I observed the room, my head drifting back and forth from the side, the ceiling and even floor, I aimlessly followed Ari to a staircase that looked like it headed to a basement - or to hell, which would not be surprising since Ari is a devil child.

"This is where the fun is," Ari declared with an excited smile, as she looked at me over her shoulder.

As we continued to descend, the commotion of chatter, music, and clanking of silverware became more apparent. The smell of pizza - remarkable. The new space we were in looked like a typical sports bar. There was a stage at the front of the room, tables, chairs, and off to the side was the temple.

"Pizza," I breathed in deeply once again. If getting high off of the scent of a greasy pan of beauty that is pizza, then I'd be so close to heaven I could fist pound Jesus.

I followed Ari through the crowd of people. There were several of them, laughing, talking loudly, and drinking glasses of beer. They were all over the spectrum when it came to looks, but despite their diversity, seemed to all get along well. That never happened in Percival Shores so this was a nice change.

"Mia!" Ari called out with her hands around the sides of her mouth.

A girl who was frantically running around with a clipboard in her hand and a headset attached to her ear stopped her movements and turned in our direction. She was about the size of Ari and waved towards us with a surprised look on her face. She had long, black hair, a metal ring on the bottom left side of her lip, and the same golden skin as Ari's.

"Little sister!" she screamed, pulling Ari into a tight embrace. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you call? Did you need a place to crash tonight? And who's the preppy white boy? Is this your escort?"

The girl's dark brown eyes scanned my presence up and down while still clutching onto Ari.

"For the love of Netflix," Ari groaned loudly, face palming herself, "how many times do I have to tell both you and mom that I do not want a Debut. Also, we came here for the best pizza ever," Ari turned to me, "Luke this is my older sister Mia. Mia this is my frie-- classmate Luke."

I shook Mia's hand, "nice to meet you."

"You too Luke," Mia smiled, "but I actually have to get back to work. You guys go order some food and grab a table close to the stage. You came just in time. It's open mic night and--" Mia stopped speaking suddenly, throwing her hand to the head set, "just hold down the power button, wait 5 seconds and turn it back on. The projector works just fine, it's just old."

She turned to face us with a smile, "I'm sorry about that. Our normal floor manager is out so I have to take over. But yea, if you guys want to join in on some drunken, college fun on stage, the sign up sheet is by the entrance. It was nice to meet you Luke and Ari... say goodbye before you leave."

"Okay, bye Ate," Ari waved, as Mia turned around and proceeded to wave her clipboard around.

(translation: older sister)

"Dude, your sister is hot," I muttered.

"Ashton Irwin thinks so too, so be careful" Ari chuckled, giving me a playful punch on the shoulder. "Why don't you go grab us a table and I'll go order us a pizza. You're not allergic to anything, right?"

I shook my head, "but I don't want anything weird on it. Like anchovies or wasabi or... cats."

"Cats? Really Luke? Why the hell would I have cat meat on a pizza?"

"You are Asian aren't you?"

She hit me upside the head. I deserved that. It was a joke, but I guess she and I weren't on that level yet, even though she does call me "white boy" every chance she gets.

"Ow, I'm sorry," I threw my hands up in defense. "Put whatever you want on the pizza!"

"Yes! Goat ballsacks it is!" Ari exclaimed mockingly. I flipped my middle finger not knowing how she would respond but she took it lightly and flipped hers right back paired with a goofy face.

Maybe tonight won't be so bad.

//

ARI.

I think Luke was starting to loosen up and I'm glad. He wasn't complaining too much and though he still had his moments, Luke was being pretty bearable tonight. I think some food and being in such a chill environment will help him feel totally comfortable. Despite the fact that he had basically everything in life, I still kinda felt bad for the kid. He lived in a beautiful home, drove a new car, has a loving mother, and is well known through out the school. He doesn't have a reason to worry but yet he does.

With Liz Hemmings' money in my pocket, I walked up to the pizza booth, welcomed by one of the employees behind the register. He was very good looking to say the least with tanned skin, dark brown hair, and thick black framed glasses. He had a half-sleeve of tattoos on his right arm, peeking through his black shirt.

"Hi how can I help you?" he smiled. God, so hot.

"Hi there--" I paused, looking down at his name tag, "--Reese. Can I have a medium deep dish pizza. Half pepperoni, artichokes and grilled shrimp. And the other half... um, let's go with... whatever's your favorite."

"You're asking for my favorite pizza toppings? Gee, I barely know you. Couldn't you ask an icebreaker question instead, like my social security number?" Reese joked. I liked his humor. "Kidding... my favorite topping combo would be sweet potato, red onions, and sausage."

"That's different, and impressive," I smirked, "I had you pegged for a meat-lovers guy."

"As much as I love a plethora of meat in my mouth--" he stopped, narrowing his eyebrows as he pondered over what he said, "that came out totally wrong."

"It did," I laughed, "I didn't know you swung that way, but who am I to judge?"

"Why thank you gurl," he flapped his hand, doing the most stereotypical homosexual action a person could do, "but in all seriousness, I don't swing that way. I could swing your way, if you'd like. What's your name?"

"Ari Quiroz," I extended my hand past the register.

He shook it, "nice to meet you Ari. I'm Reese O'Hara. So does all this complete your order? Any dessert? Beer?"

"I'm not 21 yet," I admitted, "but throw in two cups of raspberry iced tea and that will complete my order."

Reese plugged in the order into the computer screen before looking back up at me with a smile.

"What's the damage? What do I owe you?" I asked him.

He shook his head and said, "don't worry about it. On the house."

"What? Why? Let me pay," I protested.

"I swear it's okay," he pressed, "but in exchange..."

Oh dear God, he's going to ask for a sexual favor.

"...will you please donate to the Juvenile Cystic Fibrosis Foundation?"

Cute boy say what? I was seriously taken aback, "I'm sorry, what? You want me to donate money to what?"

"To the Juvenile Cystic Fibrosis Foundation," he repeated, "I volunteer at the children's hospital over in Percival Shores in the respiratory unit. I mean you don't have to donate a lot or at all really. But if you ever want to, just donate it through the children's hospital."

"I will," I smiled, eyeing the cute, funny, and oh so altruistic boy before me, "and thank you so much."

"I'll see you around Ari Quiroz," he waved, as I stepped back from the counter.

"Right back at you Reese O'Hara," I waved before turning completely around and walking back to Luke.

I was screaming inside, and I just wanted to dance from excitement. This was the first time that an actual boy looked at me like I was a girl - like I was worth some of his time. Maybe he was flirty with every girl? Or he was just a genuinely sweet guy? Whatever the reason, Reese made my stomach do backflips and it sucked that I was stuck at Percival Shores High when he was enjoying college.

When I returned to the main seating area, Luke was nowhere to be found. I scanned the vicinity, trying to catch any sign of him. The blonde quiff, the preppy clothes, his tall frame were nowhere in sight. I figured that he was off exploring or in the bathroom. God forbid he ditched me and went back home, or was outside in the middle of a gang fight.

I pulled out my phone, sending him a quick text message. The sound of clapping and excited jeers filled my ears, causing my head to lift up from the glowing screen to the stage before me. I took a seat at an empty circular table near the side of the stage. A girl with blonde hair walked up to the mic. She wore the same black shirt that my sister Mia was wearing and assumed she was running the show too.

"Good evening Lotus Cove!" the girl yelled into the mic, as the crowd enthusiastically mused her. "I hope everyone is doing freaking peachy because I know I'm feeling fantastic. It's open mic night here at our beloved Lotus Cove Cafe and we've got a full lineup of people ready to grace you with their talents. Remember, no booing and no negative energy. Positive vibes only - and if you're lacking some, the pub is over to your left. Go grab some liquid happy. My favorite is Captain and Coke."

The crowd erupted into screams and claps. I searched the now dimmed area for Luke, but I still couldn't find him. I slumped into my chair, checking my phone for a text from Luke. Nothing. An employee came by and dropped off the pizza, some plates and a pitcher of cold tea. I thanked him and sent him off with a smile.

The sound of the settling mic redirected my attention from the cheesy pizza on my plate, back to the stage. The blonde girl leaned into the mic again and continued her spiel.

"Our first performer tonight comes from Percival Shores. It's his first time performing at the Lotus Cove Cafe and so he's gonna need lots of encouragement. Here to grace us with a song is none other than Luke Hemmings!"

What the actual fùck?!

//

Oh my gosh. Luke is performing! What's gotten into him? He's becoming so loosy-goosey I love it haha. And who's this Reese O'Hara guy? I pictured him to look like Dylan O'Brien from when he was in The Internship. Also, I'm now hungry for pizza.

I hope you liked this chapter. If you did please vote, comment, and tell your friends to read it too! Thank you so much!

Also, this chapter is dedicated to captivitea who wrote Desk Notes, a short fanfic that I finished in less than a day because it is THAT addicting. It's cute, wonderfully written and full of feels. Check it out if you haven't!!

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