Build-A-Boy Workshop - Lashton

Chapter 7: Rag Doll

Luke couldn't get his words. He saw Michael put on some sweats, and he puts his hand out for Luke to grab. Luke reluctantly grabs it, squeezing Michael's hand a bit too hard. Michael was trying to think this through. He could remember Luke's sixteenth birthday. They gathered at Michael's and watched movies and shit. Michael, Calum, and Ashton used to volunteer at the orphanage and always hung out with the younger boy, yet Luke thinks he has a family. It didn't make sense to Michael at all.

Ashton sees the state Luke's in, and runs over to him, peppering his face with kisses, and saying sweet nothings into his ear, whilst guiding him over to the couch, and that's when Luke exploded. "I-I c-can't do this anymore! I'm so confused..." He starts, making his hands into fists. "I-I thought I had a family! And now I learn that I was an orphan that was kidnapped to be made perfect and put in a fucking box. A-And I didn't even remember you, or Cal, or Mikey! Why is it all coming to me at once! I come h-here and I thought I was in love with a depressed piece of shit." Ashton didn't take the comment to heart, he knew Luke was angry, and needed to scream whatever insane thoughts pop into his mind.

"Am I even real? Is this life real? It's so superficial! SO FUCKING STUFFED!" Luke tugs at his hair, looking at the window to see the snow melting. "YOU, ASHTON IRWIN, UGH, YOU JUST WANT TO- UGH!" Luke could see the small amount of stuffing coming out of his perfect Build -A-Bear doll, and Ashton could see Luke's stitching becoming completely unraveled, into a huge mess of stuffing with a sound box. "Am I still you're perfect 'Build-A-Boy' It's so stupid!" Calum and Michael were watching the event from the kitchen, and were so worried that Luke would go bad shit crazy and hit Ashton.

"Luke, you gotta calm-" Ashton doesn't even get to finish.

"NO, ASH! I couldn't remember the past three years of my life, and my whole life before that was a complete lie, I have a reason to be like this." Ashton gets up and calmly puts his hand on Luke's shoulder, making Luke flinch.

"It's just me, Lukey Boy." Ashton kisses Luke's cheek sweetly, Luke gulps. He didn't know who to even believe. Was their love actually real, or was it made up like Luke's past? Was it just a thing imported into Luke's mixed up mind. He wonders that, while Ashton comforted him, calming him down.

"Ash, is are love real?" Luke asks, playing with Ashton's bigger fingers.

"Of course it is," Luke shakes his head.

"Are you just saying that because of the build-a-boy thing, or is it real love?" Ashton pecks Luke's lips.

"No one knows what real love is, Luke, but whatever I feel with you, I know this is it." Calum and Michael let out a awe at the cheesy romantic moment.

"Do you think I'm crazy, Ash?" Ashton shakes his head. Luke finally stopped crying, and he wipes his runny nose, and red eyes. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Ashton gets up, rising Luke's nose, and opens the door to a tall man in a police uniform. He shows his police badge.

"Is Lucas Hemmings here?" Ashton gulps, what did Luke ever do?

"Um, yeah, why?" Ashton was practically shaking.

"I would just like to talk to him. It is concerning something that we believe he was apart of." Ashton welcomes the officer in, and offers him a cup of coffee or tea, the officer shakes his head, and he goes over to Luke on the couch.

"Hello, Mr. Hemmings. Can I talk to you for a few minutes." Luke nods. "Tell me what you can remember of July 17th, 2012." That was the day Luke's memory was a complete blur. Luke tried and tired to remember something anything, but he couldn't.

"That was the day all those boys went missing." Luke says.

"Yes, and we are trying to investigate that case, we have reasons to believe you were one of the missing boys." Luke gulps.

"I-I don't remember much from that day. All I know is that I was taken to some place that completely brainwashed me and it made me forget I was an orphan in the first place." The officer nods.

"Luke, have you heard of the company Build-A-Boy?" Luke nods.

"I was one of the boys." He admits.

"I know. We already found the guy running the company, and he told us everything, we are just trying to find some of the boys like you to ask you questions about a Mr. Irwin." Luke furrows his eyebrows, Ashton's father? "We found out this man was your... boyfriend's birth father."

"Uh, I really don't know anything. I know he left Ashton when Ash was fifteen, meaning he had three years to make that whole thing happen. I know I was made 'perfect' whatever that means, and sent here naked in a box, with a feeling of love for Ashton." The officer nods.

"Most of the other boys we officers have talked to are still stuck in their fantasies, they still think they aren't orphans. Do you know why you are different from the others?" Luke shrugs.

"Well this morning I woke up feeling very... different, and everything clicked in the my mind I guess." Luke says.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked for answers yet." Luke shrugs.

"I thought you might not be able to give me them, so I didn't want to get my own hopes up." The officer chuckles.

"Well I actually can give some answers. You must have known Ashton before, because most of the boys that were paired with people knew them, just didn't remember them, or they brainwashed them to make you forget the person. So you're love for, Ashton is real, just a little over exaggerated." Luke look to the kitchen where he knew was. "-And yes you are an actual orphan, and I guess you were 'excepted' into the program with the other 999 boys."

"So I'm not some weird robot, and I'm not actually insane." The officer shakes his head.

"Well I have to go now, thank you Luke." The officer lets himself out, and Luke takes a deep breath. What just happened? He asks himself, yet gets no answer.