day 689
end of junior year

CALUM'S POV

"good job today, boys." coach edison says once we're finished doing our cool down.

today's training was a killer one for sure.

"i'm fucking buggered, mate." luke says, walking up next to me.

we start to make our way towards the locker room to freshen up and grab our things before heading home.

"when i get home," ashton says as he begins to take his jersey off, "i'm gonna have the fattest nap i ever had."

"i'm already thinking about the food at home." michael chuckles as he wipes sweat off his forehead.

we get in the locker room and immediately make our way to our own lockers, mine and luke's being next to each other.

i grab my belongings, ready to make my way to the shower, when i hear luke next to me.

"fuck." he whispers under his breath.

"shit. shit. shit." i hear him say again.

"fuck no." he mutters again.

"that fucking asshole." he says a bit louder this time.

he begins to rummage frantically in his locker, and i raise an eyebrow at him. he looks a bit crazy, talking to himself like that.

"what's up, mate?" i ask, watching him stuff his things in his gym bag quickly.

he doesn't answer as he proceeds to gather his things, a frantic look on his face.

"luke," i say a bit louder, "what's up?"

"ky." he says simply.

"fuck," he mutters, looking frantically inside his locker again, "where the fuck are my slides?"

"what's up with ky?" i ask. luke looks so panicked, i don't even know if i should be asking all these questions.

"she sent me more than thirty texts in the past hour," he answers, "aden did something again and she cried and had an asthma attack."

luke says all these while rummaging through his locker like a caveman.

"fucking hell," i say, shaking my head, "what'd he do?"

"i don't know yet," he answers, "what i do know is that i need to get to ky right fucking now."

i stay silent, watching luke as he zips up his gym bag and wears his slides.

"i'm gonna go to her, cal," he says as he slings his gym bag over his shoulder, "tell michael and ash i said bye."

and with that, luke walks past me. no, he runs past me.

he didn't even take the time to shower or wipe his sweat fully.

"where'd he run off to?" michael asks as he walks up to me, drying his hair using a towel.

"i think ky needs him." i shrug, beginning to make my way to the shower.

"knew it," michael answers, "luke's the chillest guy ever. unless it comes to ky."

present day
july 16, 2020

KY'S POV

michael's looking at me with a fake sad face again.

"what?" i ask, facing him.

"we had a group chat, but you always chose to message luke separately," he frowns, "why?"

"do you really wanna know?" i ask, knowing full well that my answer may possibly hurt their feelings.

"i don't wanna hear it." ashton says, then proceeds to plug his fingers in his ears.

"i want to." michael shrugs.

"so do i." calum nods.

"cause luke's comfort was always different," i answer, "he could literally just be sitting next to me, and everything would instantly be better."

"and we didn't have that effect on you?" calum pouts playfully.

"of course you did," i say, "of course your words of comfort helped me. but they didn't instantly make me feel better, you know?"

"so what you're saying is, luke would just sit next to you while you cry, he won't even have to say a word, and you'd instantly feel better?" michael says.

"exactly." i nod.

"obsessed." he mutters under his breath, causing me to roll my eyes towards him.

"but, there were some times when luke would have a hard time comforting me," i recall, "especially when it came to aden. but, of course, his singing would always do the trick."

"luke sang for you when you were sad?" mia smiles, "that's so precious."

"ky! tell mia about the first time luke sang for you," ashton says excitedly, "and let's see if she'll realize something important."

"realize what?" mia asks, a confused look on her face.

"we'll see if you can," i smile, "now here's the story."