Belief

7.1

Luke's POV

"Did you see that one girl today with the-" Calum gestures to his chest with a smirk.

"Shuttup you perv," Michael pushes Calum out of the way with his foot so he can concentrate on the video game that I am currently beating him in.

"Pass me a chip," I say opening my mouth without taking my eyes off of the screen. This is our usual afternoon on tour.

"Get it yourself idiot," Michael elbows me to mess up my game. I flinch, making him score on me. That little shit. "Calum get out of the way!" Michael groans.

"Luke it's almost 2 o'clock" Ashton peeks his head into the living room.

"So?" I squint at the screen, almost gaining a lead on Mikey.

"So you have a dinner date skype session with Maddie at 2." I can feel Ashton roll his eyes at me.

"Okay dad," I bite my tongue, making the winning goal and yelling in Michael's face. "Okay, I'm done," I stand up, content with beating him.

"What the hell! Rematch after you're done!" Michael yells from the couch. "Calum play me, at least I can beat you."

"You cocky son of a-"

"Guys stop fucking swearing," Ashton yells at us.

I walk into the kitchen, opening the laptop and pouring myself a bowl of cheerios.

"Really?" Ashton raises his eyebrows at me.

"What do you expect me to make?" I shrug as I call up Maddie. Within seconds her face lights up the screen, her smile wide and eyes bright. I can't help but grin, my mood automatically shifting to happier.

"You are so beautiful," I bite down on my lip as she covers her face and blushes.

"I forgot how cute you are," she scrunches up her eyes and pokes the screen as if she was booping my nose.

"So what did you make for dinner?" I laugh, holding up my bowl of cheerios, "nothing can beat my gourmet meal."

"Jokes on you because my cheerios are honey nut," she holds up her bowl, "so yes, mine beats your bland cereal."

"Fine you win," I bite down on my tongue. Calum and Michael are yelling at the television, but their voices are loud enough to be heard from here.

"How romantic," Maddie jokes when she hears them.

"Guys shuttup I'm on a date in here!" I yell at them, making Maddie laugh. "Why are you laughing? They are being annoying."

"Because you're cute," she stares at me through the screen, "and I miss hearing your laugh in person," she pouts. Holding her stare, just for a second it feels as if we are actually together, as if I could reach across and brush the piece of hair that always falls in her face when she laughs. Just for a second things felt normal again.

"I miss you too," I take a bite of my cereal before I say something stupid and embarrassing. Instead my eyes focus on the room behind her, our kitchen. There are flowers on the windowsill and pictures hanging up on the fridge. Mainly of her, Grace, and Charlie, but it was hard to see from here. "What is that certificate on the fridge?" I squint, but the words are a blur.

"Oh that," Maddie turns around to look at it, but just shrugs. "Just some academic scholarship thing the principal gave me."

"Just some scholarship?" I smirk at her, "You are just- amazing, you know that? Here I am sitting in some hotel playing video games and there you are getting your life on track."