Sorry for the long delay; I feel horrible about it, but the workload 2nd semester... killer.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Try again in... never. (Hey. A girl can dream)
WARNINGS: CHILD ABUSE AND BRIEF MENTIONS OF BULLYING
Previously on All That Matters
"I'm Luke McCoy. I need to speak with Ponyboy Curtis."
There was no turning back now.
"Um, that may not be the best idea," the man said. "Why do you need to see him?"
"Just... please."
"Okay, but be warned. He got jumped by some guys, so he's pretty banged up. Two minutes, max."
The man let him inside the house. "I'm Steve. Ponyboy's right-"
But Luke had noticed Ponyboy lying on the couch, and Ponyboy had noticed Luke. In an effort to act tough, he sat up on his elbows and glared at Luke, but fear was shining in his eyes.
Luke, though, winced. Ponyboy was covered in bruises and deep cuts, some of which, still oozing blood. There was blood collecting on the hem of his T-shirt, where Michael had carved the word worthless. I won't go into too much detail, but lets just say that the teenager looked like he'd gotten into a fight with a garbage truck.
Luke turned to Steve, who seemed to get the message, and left to give the two boys some privacy.
"Ponyboy... I'm sorry," Luke said. "And I know that that doesn't make up for it, but... I really never wanted to hurt you."
"Then, why did you?" Ponyboy's voice was oddly flat, emotionless. Luke wished that he'd yell or scream or hit instead of that... that voice. Filled with disappointment and yet, lacking emotion. The kind of voice parents use when they're really angry.
Luke paused before sitting down in a chair next to the couch.
"You have to understand that I've never been popular. When I entered middle school, I was bullied nonstop until Michael, one of the guys, stood up for me. They became my new best friends.
"They used to be good people. Brandon couldn't have hurt a fly; Chloe was smart and shy and caring; Stephanie was so gentle; and Michael... well, Michael was like a story book superhero, always there to save the day.
"But then, we got to high school, and they started changing. Chloe was no longer a straight A student; she was getting C's. She hated everything, it seemed. Brandon was constantly hurting people. Stephanie... she was so obsessed with being pretty that she forgot to be kind. And Michael... Michael was now more the villain than the hero.
"But they were my best friends- my only friends. I'd have no one if it weren't for them. For a while, I-I put up with them being bullies because I felt that I... that I owed them for being my friends.
"But seeing them hurt you like that... it was too much. My parents are both hateful and bitter, and when I was younger, I promised myself that I would not forget myself, forget to be kind. I didn't want to be the dad that left or the mom that just didn't care.
"But... I did forget myself a little bit, but I'm starting to remember now. I can't expect you to forgive me, but... I just want you to know that I'm sorry."
Ponyboy was silent for so long that Luke knew he wouldn't reply, so he stood and approached the door. When his hand touched the doorknob, Ponyboy called him back.
"Thank you... for apologizing. And maybe some day, I can forgive you. Just not today."
Luke smiled; it was better than nothing. "Thank you, Ponyboy."
Luke left, but his troubles and accomplishments both followed him home.
Someday, everything would be okay. Things were looking up.
Until he got home.
"Lucas!" His mother cried.
Luke froze. Half the time, his mother didn't remember his name, much less deliberately call him; should he answer?
He went with yes, but he wishes that he didn't.
"Yeah?"
"Get in here!" She sounded angry.
Despite her obvious rage, Luke followed the order; after all, his mother had never actually hurt him. She'd neglected him, but his home was far from abusive.
Until now. Something smacked against his face as soon as he entered the living room, something leather that caused pain to flicker across his face. A belt.
And then, there was hitting. So much of it. Pain was flaring everywhere, and blood was dripping down his skin.
"Mom! Mom, stop, please!"
"You fucking bitch!" His mother shouted with a crazed look in her eye.
"MOM!"
And then, Luke spits out blood and he no longer has the strength to scream or fight back, so he just lays there.
He has so many regrets. He'll never see the day that Ponyboy forgives him; he'll never get to ask Michael and the others about what changed them from happy children to monsters. He'll never get to track down his father and ask him why he left like he's been planning.
On a smaller scale, he'll never have his first kiss; he'll never learn to drive or graduate or marry or have kids. He'll never even find out what he got on his math test last week.
And all because of her. His own mother.
For the first time, Luke feels like something isn't his fault. His dad leaving? That was his dad's choice, not his own; Luke was only ten, and no matter what he did (if he did anything at all), no parent should abandon their child like that. His friends changing? How could that have anything to do with him? He didn't tell them to change, and how can you stop something from happening if the person didn't want to stop? And his mom... she screwed up her life way before she had him.
Too bad he's realizing all of this on his death bed.
I'm sorry, he thought, not really sure who he's apologizing too.
Luke smiled. It was over; he'd had a good run, but everyone has to say goodbye at some point.
The world went black.
Ponyboy stared at the ceiling of his home, which was covered with stains from past thunderstorms where the rain leaked through or someone pulled a prank that quite literally blew up in their face.
No one had returned to the living room, so Ponyboy was left with his thoughts.
Luke McCoy, the blonde kid that always acted more like a nerd than a jock but was still in the popular group. No one ever understood it, and now, Ponyboy was the first.
The Populars weren't heartless; if they were, they would've dropped Luke years ago. But they knew that Luke would be targeted by bullies, so they stuck with him, standing up for him, even though being friends with Luke hurt their reputation more than once.
Chloe had once kicked a guy in the crotch for daring to call Luke a geek. The boy had been her boyfriend...
Michael punched a person for posting some insults about Luke on the Internet. He was suspended for three days...
Brandon had pushed a girl for calling Luke a homo, a fag, and several others Ponyboy didn't dare repeat when he refused to kiss her. Brandon's girlfriend broke up with him because she thought he was gay and dating Luke...
Stephanie once slapped Luke's mother when she stumbled in on his band concert and called him worthless in front of everybody. Luke's mother shoved her, and she hit her head on the floor, leading to a hospital visit...
Ponyboy would never forget how mad the Populars were after Luke returned to his mother after the incident with Stephanie when they'd failed to put her behind bars for physical assault and child neglect.
They weren't bad people. Life just... school just... somehow, Ponyboy couldn't blame them for this. He learned a long time ago that blaming others without knowing the whole story can hurt a lot of people. When he did that, Darry, Bob, Soda, Johnny, Dally... they all got hurt because Pony blamed Darry without knowing the whole story.
But never again. He'd call Luke in the morning.
Little did Ponyboy know, Luke McCoy may not have a morning.
Michael was really starting to regret chasing Luke off. Luke was his best friend, through thick and thin.
When Michael got dumped by Sandra Conners in freshman year, Luke didn't judge him for crying; he handed Michael a pint of ice cream and listened to him as he ranted about Sandra.
When Michael got so drunk at a party that he couldn't remember his own name, Luke had been the one to help him home and get him up to his bedroom without his parents noticing.
When Michael's cousin died in a car accident, Luke had gone with him to the funeral and held his hand as they buried an eight year old boy six feet beneath the ground.
Michael exchanged glances with Cloe, Stephanie, and the others (the others weren't too fond of Luke, but they understood Michael's tight bond with him). He stood and walked outside. Nobody stopped him. They all knew where he was going.
The streets were quiet, not a car in sight. Even the Greasers seemed to have cleared off the streets, and the closer he got to Luke's house, the more nervous he became.
A bad feeling settled in his gut. Something was very, very wrong.
Michael broke into a run, speeding through the streets, feeling like he was back in junior high on the track team. His legs burned, but the awful feeling in his chest burned brighter. Luke needed him.
His house was so close, only a few yards away, poised like a dollhouse on a lane of perfect homes. But inside, Barbie was drinking or maybe sleeping with some guy, and her son was in danger.
Michael quite literally busted open the door, and he was shocked to be greeted by silence. No television or music; no queen of hearts screaming at him not to be so loud; no best friend snickering as Michael blushed.
The silence was eerie.
Michael crept through the house, first to Luke's room, which he found empty, and then, he branched out to other rooms.
Mom's room, empty.
Bathrooms, all empty.
Loft, empty.
Kitchen, utterly vacant.
"Luke!" He called. "Ms. McCoy!"
Nothing.
Only the living room was left.
Michael stepped through the archway and turned to look around the room.
His eyes landed on Luke McCoy.
He screamed.
Should I kill Luke? Or no?
Also, don't worry, I will get back to Aimee and Soda soon; I just hate the stories that are all romance and no action or angst, so...
Bye bye!