Somebody Else - The 1975

"How was the date with that guy from the band?" Luke asks as he and Sierra are waiting for their order at a small café. It's their tradition: at least once a week, mostly on Sundays, all three of them, more often than not with Cory, go to this café and order pancakes with ice cream. Although today Calum decided to skip and meet up with Feye instead. Isn't very nice of him.

The café isn't popular as it's far from the centre, although it is good, so there aren't many customers at this time of the day. It looks bright and modern, with lots of tables for two and a few bigger tables near the windows. The staff is mostly students and young adults; even the manager is a girl younger than Luke. The atmosphere is quiet, there's calm music in the background with no heavy beat—just the artist's soft voice and the lyrics sung along with a guitar or piano accompaniment—so Luke definitely insisted on making this place their tradition.

"Ugh, him.." Sierra rolls her eyes. "He's so full of himself. He talked about what a great voice he has and how their band is cool because of him. Didn't ask a single thing about me and kept telling me how hot I am. Like yes, I am hot, but that's not the only thing about me, you know?" she exclaims. Sierra gets quite gesturous when she's talking about something that really offended her.

"What did you do then? " Luke asks, smiling. He knows she's a renegade who wouldn't let it slide.

"I left halfway through." She huffs. "And before that, I told him to text me when he stops thinking like a 13-year-old. Which is never, so.." she shrugs and sips her orange juice. She doesn't want him to text her again.

"You should aim for quieter guys. You can boss them around, you love it." he replies, laughing. He doesn't think that her standards are high, but maybe she's looking for someone to reach them among the wrong guys.

"Maybe I want to be bossed around." She says, looking him straight in the eyes. She doesn't really mean it, but teasing him is fun.

"Oh, keep your kinks to yourself, please. I don't wanna know any of this." Luke replies, half joking, but his face frowned.

"Why not?" She notices he started playing with the rings on his fingers, which means he doesn't like the topic and is probably anxious. The waiter saves them by bringing their orders. They try to get something different every time, but today they went for their favourites: Luke got strawberry ice cream, and Sierra got the chocolate one.

They eat in comfortable silence, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and just observing the people around them or even outside the cafe, until Luke freezes looking at the entrance.

"What?" Sierra asks, already looking around. She wasn't even looking at him, but the sudden silence and the lack of the sound of his spoon hitting the plate made her pay attention.

"That's.. It's Michael." Luke whispers, his eyes still fixed on a guy walking into the place.

"Who?" she asks, confused.

"Michael, he was my first boyfriend. And the only one who didn't dump me. I broke up with him." he replies and gets back to his food, trying to look as if he doesn't care.

"Why?"

"I was scared of a relationship. We were very young, 14 maybe, and obviously both boys, so the pressure of everything was too much. I couldn't handle it." he says.

They watch Michael and a girl come up to the counter and order two milkshakes. Luke hesitates for a few seconds but decides to call him anyway. A small chat won't hurt anyone.

"Mike! " the guy looks around, trying to understand who said his name, and as he sets his eyes on Luke, his gaze softens. He's glad to see him.

They both get up and hug each other, and somehow it's not awkward at all. It's not that Luke expected it to be weird—they ended on good terms and remained friends until the end of high school.

"Mike, meet Sierra." Luke introduces her, pointing to his right, and Sierra smiles.

"I remember you! You were in my chemistry class." Michael says, shaking her hand.

"I'm gonna be honest, I don't remember you even a slight bit." She chuckles. She never really paid attention to guys when she was younger—she had Luke and Calum and didn't need anyone else at the time.

"It's okay." he smiles. "Meet my fiancée, Crystal." he points to the girl next to him, and she smiles and nods at them. She's truly stunning; her hair is dyed just like Michael's; she's a lot shorter than him but her slim figure doesn't let her look short.

"Fiancée? Wow, congratulations!" Luke says and it's sincere. At least one of them found their happy ending. "Wanna sit with us for a bit?"

"Sure. I haven't been in Edinburgh for years; I miss quiet places like this one." Michael says, letting Crystal choose where to sit and then taking a seat himself.

"You moved out?" Sierra asks.

"Yeah, we live in New York now."

"Ooh, I always wanted to go there." Sierra exclaims and looks at Luke with a pout. He's keen on travelling, so she implies he takes her there.

"New York is so romanticised. Look where we live: fucking Edinburgh, centuries of history and culture, kings, queens, and dynasties. I wouldn't change it for any other place in the world." Luke replies. He really does love his hometown, and no matter how many countries or cities he visits, he always finds his way back here.

"Of course you would say that." Sierra huffs, and Michael smiles at that. He remembers Luke being too stubborn, but thought it'd change after so many years.

"What does this even mean?!" Luke asks, offended. He looks at her, waiting for the answer.

"It means that you should be more open to exploring and actually enjoying the world. New doesn't necessarily mean bad." she says calmly.

"I'd agree with Luke on that." Michael says. "New York is overrated." Luke nods at him.

"I wanna go to Brighton Beach, though." Sierra replies. She's been to only a few countries in her life, but after graduation plans to expand her list.

"Do you know that they renamed it to Ukrainian Way?" Crystal speaks up. She has a soft voice that really matches Michael's.

"I didn't; that's so cool!" she smiles. "We should go there someday." she says, turning to Luke. He looks at her, shrugs, and nods. He's easy-going in terms of travelling.

"So how long have you guys been married?" Crystal asks after the waiter brings their drinks.

"What? No-" Luke stammers.

"We're not-" Sierra interrupts, clearly blushing.

"We aren't even dating, we-"

"Just friends."

"Oh.. I'm sorry." Crystal says, looking a bit lost. She was sure they're a thing by the way they argue or plan a trip to New York in just a few sentences.

"Don't worry." Luke laughs. Such things hardly ever make him uncomfortable, especially when he's pretended to be Sierra's boyfriend numerous times to save her from creeps and weirdos at a bar or in the streets.

"So, actually.. I was looking for you, Luke." Michael says.

"Me? Why?"

"We decided to play the wedding here. It'd be easier for our families to gather rather than going to New York all together. And I wanted to invite you to the wedding." he exhales. It's obvious that he has rehearsed these sentences several times and is a bit nervous to ask.

"When's the wedding?" Luke asks.

"In a couple of weeks."

"A June wedding! That's the dream. " Sierra says, smiling. She read a lot about Romans as a kid, and since then, getting married in June has been her dream.

"You wanna come? Everyone has a plus one, so if Luke comes, you can surely come with him." Crystal says. She seems really sincere, and they seem to get along, despite having just met. It's like she gives off the energy of a person Sierra wants to keep talking to.

Sierra looks expectantly at Luke, not even hiding the fact that she's basically pressuring him to go to the wedding with her kitten eyes. She's been to weddings only twice in her life, and it was quite some time ago.

"I mean, I'm not busy.. " he replies, and Sierra immediately nudges him. "What?" he whispers.

"Excuse us." she smiles to Michael and Crystal and takes Luke by the elbow to go with her. "Are you out of your mind? 'I'm not busy'?" she says, mocking him.

"What's wrong with that? I thought you wanted to come?" Luke says, clearly oblivious.

"You don't put it like that. They're inviting you to their wedding. It's not about being busy, it's about whether you want to come or not." she says, a bit mad, but trying to stay calm anyway. She knows Luke can't cope with people raising their voice at him. It is logical, though. Raising your voice doesn't make the other person understand their mistake better or faster; it just scares them, even if they're a grown person.

"I was telling the truth, though; I am not busy." Luke replies.

"It's tone deaf." she says firmly. "If you want to come, tell them so."

They get back to the table and tell the couple they'll be glad to attend the wedding. Luke gives Michael his number and address for the invitations, and they part ways here. Sierra goes to her mother's flat, Luke goes home, and Michael and Crystal decide to visit all their favourite places in the town. Reliving the memories feels more like home than home itself.

Sierra hasn't lived with her mom for years now. She moved out when she was in high school, but she still visits the place at least once every few months. She knows when her mom's at work, so they don't cross paths.

Sierra can't stop going there, even though she has a panic attack almost every time. She misses her childish bedroom; she misses her old journals and toys; she misses how everything in her old room looks like a happy kid lives there.

She misses her childhood, despite it not being a completely good one. Her mom took it from her and never gave it back. With every toxic comment, with every mocking, with every punishment or silent treatment, she took it from her. Every time she would bring a one-night stand, while little Sierra was sleeping in the next room, she took it from her. Every time she'd come home drunk to her own daughter, she took it from her.

Today isn't any different. Sierra looks through her old journal, reading everything that happened to her when she was 8. She looks at the small half-faded drawings she did on each page. She liked drawing daisies, small and big; almost every page is covered in them. Her dad noticed it and bought her the necklace. Dads are always like this: they see their kid like something and buy billions of it. Sierra did appreciate the gesture, and she's been wearing the necklace ever since.

She keeps turning the pages and doesn't notice how she starts crying. She reads how her little self was constantly comparing her mom to her dad. She was a kid, but she wasn't stupid; she could clearly see who cared for her sincerely and who saw her as merely another chore.

And here it goes: another panic attack. She feels all the memories coming back in, all the feelings overwhelming her as if she's that little girl all over again. The only sound she can hear is her heart beating loudly in her chest, and she finds herself reaching for her phone.

Just as Sierra is Luke's anchor, he is hers. And not just because of her love for him, but because he's the only one who really knows her. He's the only one she allows herself to be vulnerable with.

Luke gets to the house in no time, and after he picks up Sierra, who isn't crying anymore, they drive to her flat in silence until Luke breaks it.

"Why did you go there?"

"I just needed to pick up a few things." she says quietly. There's nothing this old chipped apartment has that could be useful for Sierra.

"Be honest with me. Please." he replies softly.

She's silent. She's calm now, but she's still ashamed of having gone there; she ends up in this state every single time, she calls him every single time, and she's scared one day he'll get fed up with her behaviour. Luke never considered it annoying; he himself struggles with letting things go.

"You went to your room again?" Luke asks again, almost in a whisper. He knows it makes her feel safe.

Still silent.

"Please answer me. I want to help, you know that."

"I do." she sighs. "Yes, I went to my room again."

"Stop going to that place; it's hurting you." he responds, looking at her.

"I grew up there." Sierra says and looks down at her lap, going over her tattoos with her fingertips.

"And did you have a good childhood? No. Your mom ruined it. Stop going there." he says firmly at last.

"I'm sorry." she replies.

"What?" Luke looks at her. "No, Sierra-" he starts, and then decides to stop the car. He's already inattentive enough just by nature; he can't let himself drive while being distracted, especially with Sierra in his car—she trusts him with her safety. "I didn't mean to.. scold you. I am sorry." he says, looking at her. He wants to take her hand to reassure her, but stops himself. "Look at me." he whispers when she doesn't respond.

"No."

"Sierra, please look at me. I know you're ashamed, but I'm not mad." he pleads and takes her small hands into his palms, and her gaze shifts from her lap to his fingers that keep caressing hers, slowly playing with her rings. "I have no right to get mad or tell you what to do, but I really do wanna help. Going to your old house only keeps you from moving on." he says, looking up at her. She doesn't meet his eyes.

"I know." she says quietly.

"Be careful, okay?" he squeezes her hands, and she nods.

The wedding day comes quite quickly, especially as it's all Luke can think about. It's all he can talk about, too. Honestly, Calum is quite tired of listening to Luke say he doesn't know what to wear or how to act there. He tried to give him some advice at first, but then quickly realised that Luke just wanted to complain a bit.

Cory is happy to listen to him, though. He's just so fascinated by Luke, and spending time with him is his favourite thing to do. He likes his curls, his laugh, and the fact that he's not that smart but always tries to look smart.

Luke looks at himself in the mirror, getting ready for the wedding. He's wearing a suit, obviously, but with a black tank top underneath to keep it simple. He's got some jewellery too; he loves it. He's almost ready when his phone rings, and he immediately picks up.

"Luke, this is a- shit.. This is a disaster!" Sierra says, and by the sounds coming from her side, she's walking outside. It's also windy because half of her words get muffled.

"You need help?" he asks, already reaching for his keys. He's not driving tonight because Michael and Crystal, the kind and rich people they are, have arranged a taxi for everyone invited and their plus ones. So Sierra was supposed to come to Luke's, and they'd both leave for the ceremony.

"No- yes! I, um, I'm almost at your guys door, but I will need your help when I get there, okay?" she says quickly, clearly stressed.

"Okay, I'll be waiting." he replies as he hears a quite aggressive knock on the door. Cory runs to open the door, but Luke stops him gently. He opens the door and sees Sierra soaking wet. Her perfect hair, her makeup, her amazing red dress—everything is completely wet.

"What.. happened?" Calum asks slowly.

"Have you looked out of the window today?!" she exclaims. And that's exactly why Luke didn't let Cory open the door. "Obviously it's raining- oh hey, Cory! I didn't get you anything today, but I promise to bring some cake from the wedding, okay?" she softens as she sees the boy. Cory nods and really wants to go in for a hug, despite all the wet clothes, but Calum takes him to his room, clearly not happy that Sierra almost yelled at him.

"Okay, go to my room, I'll get towels, and take off your dress." Luke says, already going to the bathroom to get the towels. Sierra goes to his room tiredly, on the verge of crying. She really wanted to look nice but just didn't think of checking the weather. She was fine when she just left the flat, but as she was making her way from the bus stop to Calum's flat, the rain started coming down in buckets.

"Here are the towels- oh, you're already taking off your dress, okay, um, I'll leave -" he panics a bit and closes his eyes with his hand.

"I don't care." she sighs tiredly. "Just help me fix it as fast as possible." She says and takes the towels from him to wrap herself up and warm up a bit.

"Okay, let's dry the dress a bit and fix your make-up, right? Or hair first?" he asks, putting the dress away to dry.

"I don't know what to do with my hair, it's completely ruined." she sighs, looking in the mirror with a dissatisfied look. "Do you think you can make like a ponytail or something?"

He nods and gets to the point. "You can try to fix your makeup a bit now. Save some time." he says, brushing her hair carefully. It was curled, so he makes a high ponytail and curls it a little.

"Now show me your face." he says, his voice soft, and turns her in the chair. She fixed the ruined mascara and added some foundation—she's so glad she's as pale as Luke and some of their products match, so all that's left to do is apply the eyeshadow and do the lips. He lowers the chair and gets on his knees in front of her so he can see her face.

"You're gonna wrinkle your suit." Sierra says and pats him on the back.

"It'll match your dress." he smiles and motions for her to close her eyes so he can fix her eyeshadow. He holds her face with his hands quite closely to his own, which causes Sierra to shiver because she can feel Luke's breath and their faces are really close.

"You're alright? Cold?" he asks, not really releasing her face. She opens her eyes, and the realisation of how close they are hits her once again.

"Yeah.. Uh, a bit cold." she replies, still staring at him. "I love the way you part your hair at the side." she blurts out—the pause was too long. Luke smiles at her and gets up to get a blanket.

"Thank you." she nods as he's wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. And honestly, Sierra wasn't cold. She lied. She is actually very hot—she is sitting in Luke's room half-naked while he's on his knees in front of her doing her makeup, holding her face with his huge palms and caressing her cheek a bit just because he is gentle and wants to calm her down.

"Are we done with the makeup?" Sierra asks. Now that she's calmed down after her makeup and dress were almost ruined, her mind tells her that they might be late.

"Yep, go put your dress on, and we're ready." Luke nods and leaves the room to give her some privacy.

He waits for her in the living room and receives a message that their taxi is waiting for them by the building.

"Wow, look at you two, Mr and Mrs." Calum says when Sierra comes out of the room. She really does look gorgeous. She blushes at Calum's comment and clings to Luke immediately since she's still quite nervous, even though she's ready and they're not late. "Have fun tonight, okay?" Calum says, and they both nod as teenage kids do when listening to their parents.

They get to the ceremony just in time, and since they're not really important guests and were invited at the last minute, their seats are in the back. In a few minutes, they can already see Michael standing at the alter and waiting for Crystal. He's wearing a quite traditional suit, but he's changed his hair colour back to natural brown.

The music starts playing, and everyone stands up. Crystal is walking down the aisle with both of her parents. Her dress is gorgeous and really minimalistic—not too posh. She's smiling at Michael, and it's quite obvious that he's trying his best not to cry.

Their two small dogs are carrying the wedding rings, which Sierra finds really exciting and adorable. The ceremony goes smoothly: the couple shares their vows, they are pronounced husband and wife, and they can finally kiss each other.

As the celebration starts, Michael and Crystal come up to them to welcome them.

"I'm so glad you could make it, guys!" Crystal says, hugging both of them tightly.

"We're happy to be here. Congrats on getting married." Luke smiles after giving Michae a hug too.

"We have got to take a picture together, come here, Luke." Crystal suggests.

"Uhh, I'm not sure really.. I'm not the type of guy to get in pictures." he startles with a timid smile.

"Man, come on." Michael smiles at him.

"Luke, just get into this one picture." Sierra steps into the conversation. She's talking quietly, so only Luke can hear her.

"I really really don't want them to see me in pictures."

"Don't get me wrong, but they don't care. It's their wedding day, and I promise you, they won't even bat an eye if you're in one picture. It's just for the memories." Sierra says, stopping him from leaving. He forces a smile and goes with her back to the couple. They take a few photos and it's time for the first wedding dance. Crystal seems really excited, while Michael is definitely nervous.

Luke and Sierra watch them dance gracefully. Their parents are taking videos of them and their dogs are swirling between their legs, making them laugh.

"I always thought I was unlovable," she starts, and Luke already feels like his heart is going to break into a billion pieces. He knows Sierra is a tough girl, but she's really sensitive, and she doesn't like showing it. "And then I look at my mother, who constantly sleeps around, and I think to myself, 'Somebody likes that'. And my mom is a bad person. I'm not a good person either, but I always thought I'm not as bad as she is." She continues as Luke hugs her, and they dance. His hands wrap around her waist carefully—she's really ticklish. "So I really don't know what's wrong with me." she sighs into his chest.

"What are you talking about, I love you." Luke replies, but he knows she's not talking about platonic love.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." she says firmly, looking up at him.

"Yeah, and I still love you even if some dickhead guy doesn't." he nudges her and hugs her a bit closer, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Dickhead guy, yeah.." she sighs and smiles to herself.

heeey, im finally here with the update and i know you've waited too long for it and im sorry but i had some huge changes in my life like moving to a whole ass different country all alone and also exams and my job, so it's a lot and quite overwhelming, but at least i hope you liked the chapter. so tell me what you think in the comments!!

please don't forget to vote at the end and thank you for reading!! xx