and then you left // cth

chapter 15: passion street

alexis

I stare out the window as we zip past the city on a highway, looking at all of the lights begin to turn on, turning the city into a sea of colorful hills and signs and buildings. I'm probably the only one in the world who is looking out their car window in LA, and not frantically searching for movie stars. No, I want to take everything in. Everything that actually matters.

"Well, what do you think?" Luke asks me once the sun was down and nighttime had officially fallen, casting a dark shadow on the city that still lights up. We'd originally planned on going out for coffee in the morning, but he had promised that the city was much more fun at night. He'd spoken of city lights and nightlife that couldn't be missed, so we waited until just before sunset to finally leave.

"It's beautiful," I breathe at the sights. I hear him chuckle and turn to him, seeing the grin on his cheeks.

"It really is." He agrees and I continue to stare at the sights.

"I'd like to live in a city one day." I say, my voice full of dreams. I've always, even before I met Calum, wanted to move to LA or New York when I was old enough. I loved everything about big cities. The way everything and anything goes.

Big cities are where people go to chase their dreams.

And I've always loved nighttime, and those big cities flourished in the dark.

I'd spent countless days at school daydreaming about living on my own, just me in the hustle and bustle of the people and buildings. I could just melt into the background and read or write or think.

That was before, though. Now, people don't really let me be alone. They're scared I'll try something again. So I kissed my dream of sleeping next to the skyline goodbye after Calum left.

"What's going on in your head, Alex?" Luke quietly speaks out of the blue. I looked at him, noticing the way he gripped the steering wheel as he turns the car.

"What do you mean?" I ask curiously, and he glances at me.

"I don't know exactly. There's something about you that's different." He says carefully, waiting for my reply.

I furrow my eyebrows as his words sink in.

People, mainly Calum, but some others also, have always said that I expect much less from the world than most people. I have lower expectations than everyone else, I suppose. But this has taught me to rely on myself because you are the only person who can change how you feel about something.

"You understand," Calum said to me once. "You understand that the world is not a wish-granting factory and that success is not guaranteed at anything. But you just are so independent, you could be the only person on Earth and never get lonely."

"There's nothing different about me." I insist now, and he nods.

"Sure sure." He brushes me off and pulls into a parking lot. I look around as I unbuckle my seat belt. There is literally nothing here; we parked behind a bare brick building. The signs and lights of LA seem to have disappeared, and darkness surrounds the lot.

"Where are we?" I ask him. He smirks and ignores my question, and instead turns the car off and opens his door, throwing his long legs out of the vehicle. I do the same, making sure I have my phone before shutting the door.

It's so dark I can barely make out the faint shadow of Luke standing in front of the car, waiting for me.

"Luke, where are we?" I whine, more persistence present in my tone. The only thing I can see is an outline of his body and a faint glint of his eyes and teeth. I hate this feeling, of being out of control.

I sense that he's walking away and run forward, crashing into his back. I hear him laugh as he turns around and then I feel a warm hand in mine.

As much as I don't want to hold it, I also don't want to get lost or kidnapped, so I let his warm hand take mine and guide me forward. His wristbands are banging against my scars as we walk behind the building.

"Luke," I whine again, but my eyes are beginning to adjust to the dark.

"Shh, we're almost there." He tells me reassuringly. We turn around the corner of the building, nearing the front.

I gasp at the scenery and take it all in.

We aren't in the same part of the city; it's completely different. There's a new vibe. We're on a single closed off street that seems to go on forever, dozens of building on either side of the busy street. The shops and restaurants though, they very completely from each other. There are so many lights and colors and beautiful people.

On our right is a black and white Polaroid shop, on our left is an '80's themed record store. There are so many different things to do and it's a bit overwhelming.

A small casino with a blinking sign advertising the drinks that they offer.

A used bookstore with an attatched cafe.

A nightclub that sends vibrations of sound through the cement.

There is even an Elvis-themed music store.

But everything is so unique. Unlike most streets, each building seems to have a story to tell. Some are painted in spray paint, but not graffiti. People seem to respect each other here.

Oh, and the people: There's a guy with a guitar strapped onto his back, and a girl walking in a lollipop covered dress, holding the leash to a rottweiler.

A woman is doing tattoos on the street and her customer, man getting one of a snake in his arm, is gritting his teeth at the needle in his arm.

As I take it all in, Luke stops walking and smiles at the view, and at my reaction to it all.

"This," he starts with a grin. "Is what I like to call 'Passion Street'."

I look around at everything. There's so much to see, there's no way we'll be able to see it all.

"Why do you call it that?" I ask him, tilting my head. He smiles and takes a breath as he looks around at "Passion Street".

"Because everyone here has a passion that they believe is worth fighting for."

...

if passion street existed, what would you want it to have?

i'd want a coffee shop with a loft that was a bookstore, random lol.

thank you for reading