five

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hello there few things I'd like to say. first off, I just want to send out a major thank you for almost 2.5k reads on this story. literally I suck at updating and my chapters are short af but you guys stick with me and it means so much to me you have no idea. secondly, I'm starting to respond to all comments. I didn't before for some reason but I love reading what you guys have to say, you're all so cute. for third, if you haven't noticed, the chapters are numbered in german. I don't know why but I have this ocd thing where if all my stories are just one, two, three, it gets boring. so this chapter is fünf aka five. and lastly, in my last chapter I said luke cheated on savannah whoever with a girl named lilly. well, I went through and changed it. so please don't get confused. oh and luke's favorite candy is my favorite candy bc I googled and googled and there is no facts blog stating his favorite candy. also, they're getting out of the store soon I know frowny face but I have other plans and I'm super excite. I hope you actually read this. ok onto the story ily

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"Luke," Emma said as she popped a red Starburst into her mouth, "What's your natural color?"

They were laying down in aisle five and snacking on their favorite candies; Starbursts and Sour Patch Kids Extreme, backs against the row of conditioners and shampoos, staring at the colors arranged from lights to darks by brands. He replied with a muffled word and she looked over to find him sucking his face in. He then mumbled how the candies were way too sour for his liking.

After she'd finished giggling at his face, he swallowed and sighed relievingly. "I'm blonde," he said finally, pushing his half-eaten bag to the side. "Like, that blonde." He pointed to a blonde hair dye to the left of the one Emma'd been about to buy. She picked it up and held up the shade to his head, trying to picture it. He made a face and she smiled. "I will never have my hair an ugly color again."

"I don't know," she said, "the purple is starting to grow on me."

Luke sighed, "It doesn't matter. In the morning we're going to get out and I'll go back to my twat friends and you'll go back to your mum and sister. It's just nature. And we'll probably never see each other again and I won't be able to protect you when you find a boyfriend who's shit, like I know you will, because I'm usually that shit boyfriend. Then you'll get your heartbroken and I'll be fucking some meaningless girl who I found at work and somewhere, deep in your mind, you'll be like, Hey, Luke said this would happen. And then you'd smile with those little dimples of yours and that guy would be a faded memory."

Emma stared at him for a moment because she didn't know what to think.

But he continued before she could even open her mouth. "And then maybe, one day, we'll see each other again by some coincidental chance. We'll be awkward at first, you know? But I'll open my arms for a hug and I'll capture you by your vanilla-y smell. Maybe by then you'll be married to an awesome guy with a goldfish, and maybe I'll be in a band like I've always wanted," he smiled for a short second. "But maybe it'll be this Friday. And we'll both be single penguins like we are and maybe we'll trade numbers. And then we could hang out because it's legal when you turn eighteen."

"I don't want to lose touch with you," Emma stated, frowning at him. "I turn eighteen in July."

He nodded, leaning back against the row again and popping a Sour Patch into his mouth and chewing slowly. "I know. I don't want to lose touch with you, either," he said, throwing his empty wrapper across the aisle. Emma would've said something about how he'd better pick that up, but he kept talking. "I don't want to be who I am. A low-life." It seemed to spark something in him because he grimaced.

Luke sighed and she nudged him. "You're not a low-life," she replied, stretching out her legs so they strew across the rug next to his. "You live with your friends and have a job. You seem happy. I'm fresh out of high school and still with my parents while all my friends are literally in their own places already."

"I lived with my parents in my first year of college until I dropped out," Luke said, running his fingers through that hair again. She cracked her back and knuckles, then took out her bun and redid it. "I pay less than a sixth of the rent, when I should be paying a total quarter of it. My friends are sick of me, I won't be surprised if they kick me out soon. I work at a grocery store, Em, not a good job to pay for a home with." It was quiet for a moment. "I just feel like I'm completely failing everyone, including myself. Like, if my brothers knew what I was doing with my life, man. They'd be so disappointed, you know? Jack's in college majoring in whatever the hell perfect people major in. Ben's the perfect child playing football for his own college somewhere in London, or some shit. Then me. A low-life." side note: I made that all up hA

Emma moved closer to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Stop saying that. You can make me smile and laugh and apparently you can play an instrument or something. You had intentions of going to college at some point which is a lot more than I can say about me. I think you're pretty great, Luke, and you shouldn't give a rat's ass about what other people think." Luke grinned, a real smile since they started their heart-to-heart.

"Thanks, Em, you're something special."

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