𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝐋𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ✓

22

Atlas Montgomery

I had my dance in thirty minutes and everything passed like a blur. It didn't felt like it came from my heart, I was on autopilot and I did everything automatically. My heart was beating and to be honest, I was wondering what I had to do. My mind was fuzzy and I had no idea, where to go. Kaitlin claimed it as nervousness, because I'm putting myself under hard pressure.

"Monty, you good?" Calum, who sensed my uneasiness, looked at me, eyes filled with worry. I tried to say something, at least shake my head — no, I wasn't good. I was hyperventilating and all I wanted was comfort — from a certain asshole, named Luke Hemmings, but faith had other plans with us. I had to laugh out loud at the thought of Luke and faith.

"Hello, princess, look what game faith played with us." Luke Hemmings grinned at me and I could punch that grin off of his lips.

"Calum, can I ask you something?" I sat next to the kiwi boy, straightening my white dress for the dance in twenty-five minutes.

"Go on, Monty." his brown orbs met my blue ones and he gave me a smile. It didn't reached his eyes and I wasn't sure why.

"Does Luke miss me?" I whispered and regretted that question — but I had to know. I had to know, if he missed me like I missed him and if he still needed me.

"He does, Atlas. And I'm not lying, when I say you changed him. He was an asshole with anger issues, now he's just an asshole. He's a total wreck and he won't play tonight, which makes Peterson fucked up mad. He loves you, more than anything, Atlas. He loves you so much, that he's scared to destroy you." Calum mumbled and I felt my heart drop.

"But Lacrosse is everything for Luke." I whispered and covered my mouth with my fingers, probably in shock, but also in fear.

"I know, that's the thing. He never does that. The last time he stopped playing lacrosse was, when his parents, but mostly his mother abandoned him and your father picked him up." Calum mumbled in between a quiet whisper. It wasn't really a whisper, it was almost as, no one wanted to speak up, but still talk to each other.

"Your father picked him up, pulled him straight into the racing bullshit and gave him money for it."

"I think that's enough." I whispered and I couldn't believe, that his mother abandoned him. "Probably." with that Calum got up and looked at me.

"You have your dance soon, why don't you go over to the hall?" he asks and I nodded.

"Thank you, by the way. For the talk and all." I mumbled, mind still fuzzy from the fact that Luke's parents abandoned him and I couldn't believe it, that my father helped him — the whole time.

"There you are, Atlas! Go in your line." Miss Gamour looked quite angry and to calm her a little, I got in the line, as the lights turned out and it was time for our dance. The slow piano sounds started, when the girls and I were moving slowly to Swan Lake. I was the Swan, but right now I felt so heavy — everything should feel magical, but all I felt was heaviness and doubt in myself. I knew, that in three minutes, the boys had their lacrosse game and all I could hope, that Luke would actually go to that game. The faster the music got, the frantic my dance movements. My chest hurts and I closed my eyes, suppressing myself from crying, which was no use.

The last time he stopped playing lacrosse was, when his parents, but mostly his mother abandoned him and your father picked him up.

My jaw clenched and I took a long and deep breathe through my nose, not daring to fail in front of everyone — even my father was there, along with Rose.

I'm not lying, when I say you changed him.

I felt the hot tears rushing over my cheeks, destroying my make up, but I couldn't stop.

The second the first half ended, I rushed over to the changing rooms, where I had to change into the black swan costume.

"Atlas, are you alright?" Kaitlin's voice echoed through my ears. She sounded so far away, even though she was standing right next to me. I wasn't there — I felt so lost.

He loves you, more than anything, Atlas. He loves you so much, that he's scared to destroy you.