youngblood | a.i.

one || living like a youngblood hurts too

When I was sixteen, I had someone I thought I could trust tell me "living like a Youngblood hurts too". I didn't understand what he meant originally. The adrenaline being a Youngblood always pumped through my veins was enough to cover up the pain inside.

You had to be numb to live this way anyways. The pain didn't hurt anymore. I was immune every time someone stabs me in the back. The tequila would have filled the void and I wouldn't feel it anymore. I was a Youngblood. I was untouchable. Nothing hurt me.

Until I met him. He left me in pain not even alcohol or adrenaline could fix.

I didn't trust them originally when they told me living like a Youngblood hurt. The devil was once an angel too- you can't trust anyone in this life. But I trusted the devil himself, and he was never an angel.

This is the story of how I lived like a Youngblood.

And the story of how it almost killed me.

My name's Anastasia Hemmings, and I am a Youngblood.

——-

Friday, June 19th- 11:07 p.m. | summer before junior year

"Annie," he slurred his words through the phone.

I drove quickly down the streets of our small hometown, watching as the houses flew past on each side. 

"Luke," I mocked back, waiting for him to continue his sentence. He's drunk, but what's new?

"Annie," he started again, trying to gain the mental stamina to form the whole sentence. I drove silently awaiting the rest of his words. "I need you to come get me."

I groaned below my breath. "Luke, you do this every week. I can't keep being your cover story."

"Would you rather me drive drunk?"

Even drunk, he still had an attitude.

"Fine," I finally sighed, slowing down as I realized I would have to turn around at any moment. "Where are you?"

"Ashton Irwin's party," he told me quickly.

"No way!" I quickly told him, speeding back up to go home. "You know how much I hate that kid."

"Annie! It's my Hem's lifeline," he slurred. "Get over here."

I sighed, contemplating his words. I couldn't even get my answer out before he spoke again. "I'll see you in ten?" he asked before someone started trying to get his attention on the other end of the line.

"Luke!" I reprimanded, trying to keep his attention as I made my decision.

"I'll be out front. Bye, Annie."

"Luke! No!" I yelled through the phone.

I hated Ashton. He was Luke's best friend and every time I had ever met him, he had treated me like I should be worshiping the ground he walks on. Actually having to enter the ground he walks on was not something I wanted to sign up for.

But I was met with the dial tone, meaning Luke had hung up on me and I had to drive to the house of the one person I hated most.

I huffed out an angered breath as I threw the car into a u-turn, driving in the direction of the hell I didn't know I was walking into.

Sadly, I knew where he lived. This hadn't been the first time I'd received one of Luke's drunken phone calls. We agreed when Luke got his first car to have a 'Hem's lifeline' with each other. That meant if either Hemming's sibling was in a situation we didn't feel comfortable in and needed the other, we came. No questions about why we were calling. No questions about how we ended up in that situation. We would be there.