just friends • luke (julie and the phantoms)

go back to the beginning

1994

"Sometimes I think that you own more of my clothes than I do," Luke laughed, enjoying seeing Amber in his sweatshirt and sweatpants. He was leaning against the doorway, watching the girl clean her room frantically before her parents and brother got home. Now and then, Amber would sneak Luke into her house when her parents were out with her twin to get some alone time with the boy she was "just friends" with. 

Bobby said it was bullshit but she ignored him.

Luke was her best friend, but she couldn't ignore the butterflies in her stomach when he said her name or when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and spun her around. Deep down she knew that she was slowly falling for the boy, but in the end, there was nothing she could do about it. They were friends, nothing more. 

"Admit it, you love giving me your clothes," Amber joked, not realizing just how true the statement was. Luke pulled her into a tight hug to hide his blush, resting his chin on her head. He could feel the girl in his arms relax and start to smile against his chest. And at that moment he knew that there was nothing he wanted more than to stay in that moment forever. The two pulled away and Amber reached up to mess up Luke's hair like she always did, giggling at his pout. Then, she let out a soft sigh. "My parents are going to be home soon."

"Then let me help you clean."

Amber knew that if he were to accidentally find the diary filled with pages where she bared her soul and admitted how much she wished the boy in front of her was his that everything would be ruined. Or if he found the notebooks filled with drawings of AM + LP with hearts encircling the initials. Or the hoodies she kept in her top right-hand drawer because that's where he kept his too in his room. So with a red face, she quickly shook her head.

Luke whined slightly before kissing the top of her head and spinning her around before giving her another hug. "Then I guess I have to leave."

"I guess so."

Neither of them moved. The tension between their gazes was palpable and intense, leading both of them to think that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance the other felt the same way. 

"Amber, I-"

Of course, fate had decided that it wasn't time yet for the two to be together, and so the door to the garage opened loudly below their feet. Their eyes widened as Luke scrambled to get his belongings and rush out of the window so he wouldn't be seen. He gave Amber one last squeeze goodbye, kissing her cheek a little too close to her lips, and disappeared just as Alex opened her door. 

"Are you feeling better?" her twin asked, not knowing that the girl had lied to see Luke yet again. 

"Yeah, yeah I am."

"You're really red, I'll have Mom come up and take your temperature," he responded, still concerned. 

"Okay," Amber breathed, knowing better than to argue with her brother when he was feeling protective. The girl was still flustered by Luke's exit but was quickly shaken out of it when Alex left the room. She placed her hand on her cheek where he had softly kissed her and smiled softly to herself. 

There was no way in hell that they were "just friends," and she couldn't deny it any longer.

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