Toxic Lips [l.h]

f o r t y t h r e e

All feeling drains from my body and I go completely numb. 

I drop my fork, the metal clanking against the porcelain plate. My throat is dry, and honestly, I feel like I've just been slapped. 

"What?" I choke out.

"We've been fighting so often now," my mother says. "We just don't think we're right for each other anymore."

"How can you do this?" I ask. "How long have you known!?"

"About a month and a half..." My father says.

"And you didn't think to tell me until now!?"

"We were going to, Allie. I promise, I--"

"That's the reason you wanted me to come to Perth this weekend, right? So you could tell me?"

My parents both avoid my gaze. 

"Unbelievable!" I shout. "You did this behind my back!"

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Elise interjects, her eyes mean.

My blood goes cold. "I-I didn't--"

Elise scoffs. She stands from her seat and storming out of the dining area. 

"I can't believe this," I mumble, placing my fork on my plate and standing. 

"Where are you going?" My mother asks as I turn to walk away.

"My room. And I'm locking the door!" I shout behind me. I feel like a young teenager again, not a twenty year old. I feel entitled to act this way, though. How could my parents do this to me?

I slam the door to my old bedroom behind me as I enter it. This is unfair, that's what this is. Completely and utterly unfair. 

I sink down in my bed, breathing in the familiar scent of my childhood bedroom. I suddlenly catch a glimpse of my hand. 

Luke's mobile number remains on the back of my hand, clearly written in blue ink.

Without thinking, I grab my phone and punch the number in.

"Hello?" Luke asks, answering on the second ring.

"Hi, it's Alaska," I say, my voice coming out smaller than intended. 

"Allie," he says. "You sound upset?"

I disreguard the use of the horrible nickname, not needing that to be another burden on my life right now. "My parents are getting a divorce," I sigh.

There's a long pause, and I can just imagine Luke's eyebrows raising in shock. "A divorce?" 

"Yeah," I say. "And they've known for a whole month, and didn't tell me! That's actually the reason they invited me here in the first place," my voice cracks at the end, and I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the tears. 

"Alaska," Luke sighs, the roughness of his voice transmitted through the speakers soothes me slightly. 

"It just pisses me off, you know?" I say, a tear sliding down my cheek. "And then Elise..." I shake my head. 

Luke listens patiently, and in this moment I am so glad that we're friends and we don't hate each other like we did when we first met. 

"When.." Luke clears his throat. "When my mother died, I didn't find out for six days."

I fall silent, my pulse quickening. There has only been a few instances when Luke has spoken of his past, and my thirst for information quiets my instantly. 

Luke pauses before continuing. "I was crushed," he says softly. "I didn't eat for days, not to mention sleep."

A lump rises in my throat. "Luke," I breath. "I..."

"It's alright," he says. "It's been four years," he sniffs. "My point is that you'll get past it, you'll move on."

"Why didn't you find out for six days?" I dare to ask.

Luke is silent for so long, I think he hung up. But he finally speaks. "My sister."

I manage to keep my mouth shut and not question him further. "Oh," I say.

Silence descends on us once again, and I think of bidding Luke goodbye. But I can't bring myself to do it; I want to talk to him for as long as I possibly can.

"You'll never guess who sat next to me on the plane."

For the next two hours, Luke and I continue talking. At some points we argue, at some we just laugh into the phone. But somehow the subjects of my parents and his mother manage to stay hidden. When we finally hang up, I feel lighter and happier, but I can't seem to figure out why. But I don't mind.