The ways we lost him(completed)

24

Luka was exhausted, it was Friday night and she had spent the last two and a half hours at the school library. But regardless of how tired she was, she felt happy. She had gotten a perfect score in her Physics test and had done the first draft of her History project, if anything she was ahead.

On her way back home she stopped for coffee before she ventured into town. She thought of Levi, the way he stayed those late nights with her and helped her catch up, she had made a friend too, something she didn't expect in the slightest. She had to do something to make it up to him.

She made her way into the small shop behind the launderette, Bell's books, she knew he would appreciate something from here, she would buy him a gift to thank him. The owner recognized her, nodding his head and offering her a friendly smile, one which she returned.

She found herself surrounded by old books, vinyls and CDs, posters and all the likes. And she hadn't a clue what to buy him.

The owner noticed her standing there, stepping around the corner.

"Can I help you?"

She bit her lip, deciding to risk it. She wanted to get him something he'd like. "Do you know a Levi Lockington?"

The owner let out a hearty laugh, his eyes alight. "Do I? The kid practically lives here." The way he spoke suggested he knew him well, but his eyes filled with a panic.

"I hope he hasn't coerced you into doing his monthly runs."

She grinned. "No, I'm picking up a gift, to thank him for something but I'm not really sure what he's into."

The owner, a relatively young guy, wearing a Marvel shirt and his sandy blond hair slicked back, smiled happily.

"Now there's something I can help you with." He motioned towards the book section. "Lately he's been into these guys," he motioned towards a distinctive black and white CD, with monkeys on the cover, he handed her the CD before making his way over to the posters, picking up one that was in the very back.

"I don't know why, but every time he comes here, he looks at this poster. It's so odd, he hid it at the very back so nobody else would find it yet he never buys it." He shrugged, handing her the poster. It was of a tree, but the initial atmosphere it gave off was dark and void of color; tangled branches and a hollow trunk, rotting from the inside. Yet as the tree grew upward it blossomed, showcasing its beautiful mossy green and golden leaves.

"Wow." She said almost in awe, she turned to the owner, grinning at him.

"I'll take these two."

-/

Luka made my way home, Levi's gifts wrapped neatly in my rugsack by the nice man in the shop. She stopped suddenly, and the rain pattering on the pattern became a lot more distinct. She had forgotten, today was her birthday.

Slowly, she began to walk again, her white tennis shoes became dotted with little trickles of rain.

She got home, sighing when I saw it was dark. Of course it would be, she was the only one who lived there. But for the second time that night, she stopped suddenly, seeing a familiar bright blue sports car parked in her driveway. She grinned, rushing inside to greet her brother. Had he come home for her birthday?

She burst through the door just as the lights went on and her friends and family jumped out and yelled 'happy birthday.' She stayed still for a second before a lazy grin found its way on her face.

Her brother was there, although her parents couldn't make it, it seemed. But she was still delighted that Barron could make it, she hadn't seen him at all in the last year. He made his way towards her, engulfing her in a hug, his auburn hair slicked back perfectly.