LUKE.

Mum knew something was wrong. Coming home with bruised jaws and a jittery disposition had really tipped her off to a much bigger picture. I didn't want her to worry and I didn't want her to stress about it. So naturally, I did what anyone else would've done: I lied about it. I reassured my mum that I was clumsy, irritable and stressed about my classes. She didn't need to know that bullying had become a prevalent thing in my life again. But although I kept smiling at her and kept a facade up, I wasn't exactly sure how long I could keep up with the act.

"Hey quiff boy, wanna grab froyo or something?"

I slammed my locker door shut to reveal Ari whose shoulder was leaning against the metal locker next to mine. She had her books pressed up against her chest and a small smile painted on her face. Her long hair was messily piled atop her head, emphasizing the features on her face that I grew to know and love. But in the midst of her golden skin, and brown, almond-shaped eyes, there was a strange hollowness to Ari's face that made her look underfed and under slept.

"Don't we have dance practice?" I asked, slinging one strap of my backpack on my left shoulder.

"Canceled," she simply informed with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Why?" I questioned. Not that I minded, I was feeling more lazy than normal and didn't have the energy to learn the tango.

"Mia can't come down and neither can some of my cousins," Ari told me. She tugged onto my hand, pulling me down the hall towards the main campus doors. "Can we just hang out or something?"

"Sure. Do you and the guys want to come over?"

"Would you mind if it were just the two of us? I honestly just want some quiet time without being alone and you know how rowdy things get when you guys are all in the same room together,"

"Very true," I agreed, a light chuckle escaping my lips. I could tell something was up with Ari. She seemed anxious as opposed to her normal laid-back disposition. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, why wouldn't I be?" Ari answered, furrowing her eyebrows in my direction. Yup, definitely irritable. Was she on her period again? Can girls be on their period twice a month?

"Nothing, you just seem tense. And you never are tense about anything," I pointed out, just as the two of us scaled down the concrete steps and proceeded into the school car park.

"Well whatever got into your morning tea is addling with your brain because I don't know what the hell you're getting at," Ari didn't really mean to snap at me, at least that's what I perceived. She hardly ever takes her anger out on anyone else unless it's intended for that someone specificly. Unless I personally did something to spite her, there was definitely something going on with her that she's not telling me.

"Ari, what's going on?" I asked her again, walking through a row of cars.

"I told you nothing's going on," Ari insisted. She kept her eyes to the asphalt of the school car park, as if the black, textured ground were more interesting than the person she's having a conversation with. "Look, if you don't want to hang out that's fine. Just tell me and we can do our own thing."

"I want to hang out with you," I reassured, stopping at my car. I unlocked it, using the button on my keychain and popped open the trunk. "But I can tell that there's something on your mind," I dropped my backpack into the trunk, next to a pair of old Vans and an unopened bag of Hot Cheetos, "and I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. You know that. Ride or die, remember?"

Ari let out a drawn out sigh, tapping her fingers on the side of my car. She still hadn't lifted her head to look at me and instead concentrated on something else. She licked her lips, biting the bottom one in bothersome as her forehead began to develop worry wrinkles. I took another look at my best friend and while I didn't say anything about it earlier, her choice in clothing was barbaric. Ari had an earring missing, wore baggy basketball shorts that went just above her knee, and unless she purposely decided to wear red Vans on her left foot and a purple Nike runner on the right foot, there was no denying in my deduction: this girl had something lingering in her pretty little mind.

"Can we just go to your house and watch a movie?" Ari suddenly spoke. This time her eyes were on me, boring into my own blue ones with an unspoken plea for help.

Without uttering a single word, I nodded my head and Ari placed her backpack into the trunk. I was about to ask about her car, which was only parked two rows down from mine in her normal parking space. But upon seeing her trudge to the passenger side, opening the door and slipping inside, I figured that Ari did not feel like driving.

"You know, you're lucky to be coming over today," I mentioned, as I sat in the driver's seat, immediately strapping myself in.

"Why do you say that?" Ari queried.

"Because my mum went grocery shopping yesterday and we have tons of ice cream, cookies and of course, juice pouches," I decided to get off the topic of Ari's personal issues. She clearly didn't want to talk about it and I only hoped that whenever she's ready, she would come to me.

"That sounds good," Ari muttered. I was expecting an enthusiastic inflection in her voice, like how it normally goes high-pitched whenever I mention food. However, her tone was haphazard, almost dripping with disdain.

I drove the rest of the way back home in silence. The warm air blew through the vents, enveloping Ari and I like a wool blanket. Nonetheless, in the corner of my eye I could see Ari shiver in the oversized school hoodie her tiny frame was drowning in. When her favorite Green Day song came on, the same indifference I saw in her to the mention of food was plastered all over her face. Normally she'd turn up the volume and sing at the top of her lungs with her head out the window so the entire world could know that she loved the song.

I wanted to push her into telling me what was wrong yet at the same time, I didn't want to push her away. Ari was always open with me, but lately there's been a lack of motivation on her end. There was a part of me that wondered if her behavior was stress caused by over thinking about things with Michael. He was... well, he was a whole different story.

After seeing him leave the nurse's office several days ago, I hadn't seen him since. He hasn't been in school and according to Ashton and Calum, they hadn't heard from him either. They too have noticed something off about their best friend and agreed that an intervention was imminent if Michael's shady behavior continued.

"You can head up to my room, I'll get us food," I told Ari, gesturing for the stairs the moment we walked into the empty house. She nodded without a word, kicking her shoes off and running up the carpeted steps.

I went into the kitchen, pulling out the tub of ice cream and dumping almost the entire carton into a huge bowl. After grabbing two spoons and a few juice pouches, I headed up the stairs to my room. Ari was already lying in the bed beneath the blankets and watching reruns of some television show about sick kids in a fancy hospital. I joined her, tossing a spoon onto her lap and wavered the cold confection in her face with earnest eyes.

"How was school?" I asked Ari, as she took a huge spoonful of ice cream.

"It was okay," she shrugged. Since when did we have to result in small talk? "What about you? Any problems with the football team or whatever?"

"Same old thing," I disclosed. "Just rude comments, that's all."

"Oh, okay," was all Ari said before a wave of silence washed us over.

That was it. The conversation completely ceased, and so did Ari. Instead of helping me scarf down the remaining ice cream in the bowl, she slumped further into the blanket, continuing to watch television without another word. After about an hour, Ari's back was facing me, her entire body from the shoulders down covered with the blanket. I had thought for a moment that she had knocked out, succumbing to the fatigue Ari was trying to suppress but when I laid on my side, propping my elbow up to support my head, I could hear tiny whimpers coming from the girl next to me. With a sigh, I brought my fingers to the loose strands of hair, playing with them before draping my free arm across her body.

"Wish you'd tell me what's wrong," I whispered. I wasn't expecting an answer, and I didn't get one. I was merely just reassuring the idea that I was there for Ari no matter what. "You can trust me, you know that. I have your back, princess."

I left a gentle peck on her exposed temple, not really thinking about any consequences or weirdness. Ari was my best friend and it seemed like she was drifting. I'd do anything for her and I'd do anything to keep her safe. She was honestly the only thing in my life that was one-hundred percent, completely and absolutely right.

"Lucas?" Ari suddenly pipped up, startling me in the process.

We had been in the same position for another hour, only the sounds of the television ringing in our ears and I was certain that Ari had fallen asleep. I could see the sky darkening through the blinds and I guessed that it was probably around 6PM.

"Yes," I answered, my arm still wrapped protectively around her body from above the blanket.

"Can we go visit Brayson, please?" She asked, and that's when it resonated with me: Ari was stressed out about the little boy with the shitty lungs. It was a few days shy of December and it dawned on me that Brayson Cole, with the dirty blonde hair and missing tooth would be receiving his angel wings soon.

My stomach hurt just thinking about it.

"Yea of course. Come on, I'll even bring my guitar with me. Maybe we can have a sing-along or something," I suggested, already sitting up in the bed. I threw the blankets off to the side, sidling off of the bed.

"Thanks," Ari forced a smile, getting out of the bed as well.

I nodded my head in response, grabbing my keys and wallet off of the nightstand. Ari waited as I seized my guitar off of the stand, holding it by its neck before walking out of my bedroom door. Ari followed suit, her feet shuffling against the carpet behind me.

"Think we should bring him cookies?" I wondered out loud, turning over my shoulder to glance at Ari. "I mean I know he's in the hospital, but maybe some double chocolate chip cookies will cheer him up."

"That sounds like a good idea," Ari nodded her head in agreement, another smile forming on her face. Only this time it was more genuine from the last, making me feel that much better.

After packing a container of cookies, Ari and I left the house just as my mum was pulling into the driveway. I half-expected her to be home earlier but seeing that midterms were coming up, I concluded that she stayed later to tutor her students. Ari and I bid her a goodbye, informing my mother of where we were headed off too. From the concern on her face, I knew that my mum was thinking about Ari. For anyone who didn't know the short statured girl, could automatically deduce that she was some runaway teen. However, for those that knew the spunky girl who often was well-put together, even in the most simplest of outfits, could tell that Ari Genevieve Quiroz was off her game-- way off.

The drive to the children's hospital was just as quiet as the drive from school to home. Only the music playing and no conversation. I parked in the large car park, grabbing my guitar from the backseat before locking my car. The two of us sauntered straight to the sliding glass door, once again welcomed with the bright paint and handmade decorations. Hand painted turkeys adorned the walls and in the top left, next to the faux vegetation, was Brayson's masterpiece. A tiny handprint in red paint, along with googley eyes and his name in blue crayon, the handcrafted turkey would be one of the many things left behind when Brayson was ready to say goodbye.

Once on the third floor, Ari and I strolled towards the direction of Brayson's fairly large room where he had been staying for the last few weeks. Passing the nurse's station, my eyes scanned between the different nurses. Ari caught my actions and answered, as if reading the question that posed in my mind.

"My mum's not working," Ari disclosed, her face focused on the encroaching hall before us.

"Why not?" I questioned, following Ari to the room at the end of the bright corridor. She didn't answer me and I assumed she didn't hear me.

"Knock knock? Is my little man awake?" Ari's tone of voice became more soft-spoken, less laced with irritation and more with care.

"Miss Ari!" A tiny voice cracked from behind the drawn curtain separating the bed and the open door. The two of us were greeted by both Mr. and Mrs. Cole with warm hugs, tired eyes and happy smiles. But the best welcome however, came from the little boy sitting on the hospital bed in race car pajamas.

"Hi sweetheart," Ari smiled, standing right by the bed and the beeping monitor. "Are they pumping Spiderman powers into you? Look at all these tubes," she mused Brayson, taking notice of the IV-drip in his little arm and the canula in his nostrils.

"We have a surprise for you," I chimed in, feeling warmth in my heart the moment I saw Brayson's eyes brighten. I placed the tub of cookies onto his lap.

"Mommy! Luke brought me cookies!" Brayson's voice was raspy, clearly strained. Mrs. Cole grinned, coming over to her son's side with a bottle of water with a straw in it.

"That's very sweet of you guys," Mrs. Cole gave me a pat on the back before turning back to Brayson. "You can have cookies after you drink more water. And don't yell so much sweetheart. You're going to tire yourself out."

Brayson complied, taking long sips of water through the straw before delving into the cookies we brought him. Looking at him, you wouldn't think he was so sick, fighting to survive. If it weren't for the tubes that surrounded him, Brayson would just look like any other kid.

"How about I sing ya a song buddy?" I suggested, slinging the guitar strap around my body. "Would you like that?"

"Yes!" Brayson shrieked happily, nodding his head in excitement. His mom shot him a stern look, reminding her son of staying calm. After a couple of sugar-filled cookies however, I think that was going to be a very difficult feat for him.

"What about a classic?" I hinted, "bet your parents know this song."

"Classic? Honey, I think Luke just called us old," Mr. Cole joked, earning a chuckle from his wife. I innocently grinned at the both of them before shifting my attention back to Brayson. After checking a few strings and making sure the instrument was tuned, I began.

"That's what I like about you, you hold me tight. Tell me I'm the only one, wanna come over tonight? Yea..."

Not only was I right about the Coles knowing this song, but they were also inclined in joining along. The two of them let loose, singing the lyrics and dancing around the hospital room. Brayson was very entertained as he watched both his loving parents laugh at one another for their odd dance moves and singing abilities. Ari even cracked a smile and jumped into the bandwagon.

It was three minutes of pure joy and visiting Brayson was the most I've smiled all week. This was the perfect remedy to ebb a hellish week back at school after Thanksgiving break. There was always something dreary about hospitals, as there were only two ways it could go: you either get better, or you die. And making Brayson giggle and grin from ear to ear was definitely the perfect way to keep him alive much longer. I made a promise to Ari several months ago about keeping Brayson happy till Christmas and I had very much intended on keeping that promise. But seeing how things were going, I was confident that we could keep Brayson here with us for much longer.

After strumming the guitar, making up ridiculous songs about the hospital, Ari's mismatched shoes and my lip ring, there was a sudden knock on the door. The entire room turned their heads in the direction of the new sound, and watched as a nurse sauntered into the room. She pushed a cart with a computer attached to it, placing it at the end of the bed.

"So this is where the wonderful music was coming from," the nurse mused, pulling a couple of latex gloves out from a box attached to the wall near the hand sanitizer dispenser. "I didn't know you were in a band Brayson."

"Is it time for his breathing treatment?" Mrs. Cole asked.

"Yes it is," the nurse answered with a smile. "Ready Brayson?"

I gave the nurse some room, stepping away from the bed as the nurse went over to Brayson's side. The nurse pulled a plastic mask that was hanging off of another machine and placed it onto Brayson's face. The dome-shaped mask covered his entire nose and mouth and after pressing a few buttons on the screen, a boisterous sound was emitted from the medical machinery. Wisps of air puffed out from the sides of the mask as Brayson took deep breaths inward. I guessed this procedure was supposed to help him breathe.

I didn't really like watching Brayson like this. It was hard watching him gasp for air, witnessing his shoulders heave up and down as if trying to take in as much air as possible in order to save for another day.

"Ari, sweetie, so good to see you again," the nurse looked up from the important document she was writing on.

"Hi," Ari waved, cowering backwards.

"How's your mom? I haven't gotten a chance to visit her at the community hospital yet. We all miss her here," the nurse declared, a sympathetic smile on her face.

My eyes darted over to Ari who had nervousness and guilt painted all over her face. Something was definitely up, as she opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again with no words to say. Instead, she just nodded at the nurse, forcing a smile that was obviously a travesty at best.

"It's getting kind of late and I think we should go now," Ari suddenly announced. "We'll let Brayson get some rest."

"Uh yea, for sure," I hastily added, noticing pleading signs in Ari's eyes as she shot me a look. She quickly went over to Brayson's side, stroking his hair for a moment as she smiled at him.

"Luke and I have to go now, but we'll come back again," she promised. Brayson couldn't really speak with the mask on his face and in response, he simply nodded. He opened up his arms, prompting Ari to lean down to give her little man a tight squeeze. She stepped back, letting me say my goodbyes too.

"See you soon buddy," I leaned down to give Brayson a hug too, feeling his frail arms clutch around my neck as if it were the last hug he was ever going to give. After rubbing his hair, Ari and I bid a goodbye to the Coles before making our exit out the hospital room door.

Ari's tiny legs sped up, racing down the halls and towards the elevators. I followed suit, easily catching up to her. Long legs had their advantage and Ari was no match for them. She pressed onto the down arrow button several times, as if the action would somehow bring the elevator to us more rapidly.

"What's going on with your mum?" I questioned, keeping my voice to a whisper.

Ari didn't answer, walking straight into the elevator the moment the doors slid open. Her arms were folded across her chest, keeping her distance away from me. I watched her, noticing her cheeks redden and her eyes gradually glossing over. When the elevator doors opened again, Ari quickened her pace out the doors. Right turn down the hall, right turn into the lobby and left turn out the main doors, Ari marched into the evening with an enigmatic opulence.

"Ari!" I yelled after her. She ignored me and only walked faster. I jogged towards her, entering the darkened lot. "What's going on? Is your mum alright?"

My mind suddenly reverted back to that morning in Starbucks when I accidentally bumped into Mrs. Quiroz. Her purse fell open and several bottles of prescription pills were strewn across the floor. Maybe there really was something serious going on with Ari's mum?

"Hey, what's wrong?" I grabbed ahold of Ari's shoulder, causing her to stop in her tracks beneath one of the car park's street lamps. She turned curtly on her heel, looking at me with damp cheeks and bloodshot eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ari repeated, her eyebrows narrowing in my direction. "You wanna know what's wrong?!"

"Ari, I want to help you. I know there's something bugging you," I observed. "Will you please fill me in? I care about you!"

"Well don't!" She bellowed, anger laced in her tone. She wiped the tears with the back of her hand, turning back around and attempted to stomp towards my car.

"Ari, stop!" I seized her wrist before she could even take a single step. She turned back around at my touch, irritation and hurt in her brown eyes.

"Let go of me Luke. Just take me home," she demanded, "please!"

"Not till you tell me what's wrong with you," I negotiated. I stared straight into Ari's eyes, trying to mentally assure her that I was there for her; that she could trust me one-hundred percent. She stood silent, another round of tears trickling out of her eyes as she blinked.

"Me," Ari's voice cracked. "I'm wrong with me."

"Why would you say that?" I questioned cautiously, taking a step towards her.

"My mom's in the hospital Luke. She was rushed into the emergency room this past Monday," she revealed, causing my eyes to grow with great intensity and for my mind to race with hundreds of thoughts.

"Is everything okay with her?" I questioned, taking another step in her direction.

"I don't know,"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Because..."

"Because, why Ari?"

"Because I haven't visited her in the hospital," she cried, her voice shaking and raspy. Tears plummeted out of her puffy eyes and down her face like a storm gone rogue. "I can't do it. Seeing her passed out on the floor and then being rushed out of the house on a gurney was hard enough. I won't be able to handle it."

"But don't you want to know if your mum is doing alright? It's been a week Ari, how do you know if your mum hasn't made a full recovery?" I noted, bring the possibilities to the forefront, hoping Ari could see them.

"That's the problem Luke, I don't know!" Ari declared through gritted teeth. She covered her mouth, trying to cease the breakdown before it even started. Ari paced back and forth, letting the stress and worry blanket her with a tight grip. "I'm scared, okay? I'm scared that she isn't alright; that I'm going to walk right into her deathbed."

"Hey hey," I breathed, taking Ari by the shoulders. She stopped pacing as I forced her to look at me, just as the breakdown unfolded. I delicately grasped her cheeks, rubbing my thumbs beneath her eyes and wiping away the tears, "don't say that. Look, I don't know if your mum is okay, but I also don't know if she isn't. There's only one way to figure that out... and it's to visit her."

"I can't Luke," she croaked, trying to walk away from me but I didn't let her. Instead, she dropped her head, avoiding my eyes.

"Yes you can," I insisted, shaking her slightly in hopes Ari could understand the seriouness in me. "How do you think your mum must feel right now? To know that one of her daughters hasn't even come to visit her? You saw Brayson today and how happy he was to see us; to see his parents sing and play along. Now don't tell me we just added a couple extra days to his life!"

"What are you trying to say?" Ari's chin was still to her chest, a sniffle emitting from her.

"I'm saying that happy patients mean a quicker recovery," I declared confidently. I took another step forward, right into her chest. I hooked a finger beneath her chin, lifting it to face me. I rested my forehead against hers, feeling her heartbeat quicken with each second that passed. I cupped her cheeks and my thumbs continued to gently caress her supple skin, feeling her warm breaths fan against my own. As my lips ghosted over hers, I felt my own heart race. I never wanted to kiss Ari more than I did in this very moment.

"Luke," she whispered, her bottom lip grazing mine slightly and it was that minuscule touch of lip to lip that sparked an electrical feeling within me. At that second I didn't give ten fucks that we were best friends; that catapulting myself out of the friend zone and throwing my heart into new territory would be risky. All I knew was that I, Luke Robert Hemmings, truly loved the girl whose heartbeat was thumping against my own with such synchronism. And damn did I want her to know it.

So I let her know.

Without another millisecond of thinking about the risk, I pressed my lips against Ari's trying to diffuse all the love I had in me into her own heart. I could feel the surprise radiating around her, but before I could pull away, she kissed me back. Her arms snaked around my neck, pulling me in closer as my lips slowly worked against hers. Full of compassion and care, our first kiss was anchored by our friendship but floated with genuine desire that I could barely explain myself.

Only lasting a few seconds, the slow, gentle kiss ceased when the two of us separated at the same time. Our foreheads continued to rest against each other, my eyes still screwed shut and our hearts perpetually beating rapidly. I finally opened my eyes and Ari's fluttered open too, meeting mine with lightness and grace. I bit my bottom lip with nervousness, taking in my lip ring. Ari didn't say a word, and instead her thoughts spoke loudly through the genuine smile that adorned her face, only causing me to grin jubilently back, a light giggle filling her ears. I leaned in again to place a tender peck against Ari's lips, a featherlike touch that could barely be felt physically, but could be felt internally like a lightning bolt to the heart.

"I adore you,"

"I adore you too."

//

AJFHAJAKRUAHFAKKAKLOWP.

It happened. It FREAKING happened. Finally. After 33 chapters, the kiss we've all been patiently waiting has happened! And now before you rant about Luke kissing Ari in her most vulnerable state instead of kissing her when she's happy, this kiss was planned to be at this time. It's important to know his devotion to her and important to know the moment in which Luke KNEW he loved Ari. It's all for plot and character development, which will all be panned out in future chapters when shit goes down haha!!!! :)

BUT regardless, I hope you liked this chapter as much as I liked writing it. Hugs and cheers for lots of Arke/Lui feels and a trophy for the kiss, yay!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the 300K reads and the 5K+ votes on this story. It freaking ASTOUNDS me to know that so many people read this story AND enjoy it. So awesome to see all my hard work pay off and I wish the same for every author here on Wattpad! Thank you all again and I will see you again with the next chapter.