Valentine (A Short Story)

I love the light in your eyes and the dark in your heart

1

"Fuck!" Michael dramatically exclaimed,
throwing down his controller and jumping up. "You!" He pointed to Luke and screamed at his defeat, unable to believe that he just lost. He just lost even though he played that game every day. He just lost to someone who'd never played said game in his life...

"Man, I thought you said you were good at this" Luke laughed, putting his own controller down and leaning back in glory, a smug smile across his face. A smile of champions.

"It's not my fault that you CHEATED!" He pointed at him again with wide eyes, but Luke just grinned like a cat who'd got the cream.

"Mate, we've been sat here the whole time and he didn't cheat. You're just shit" Calum stated point blankly and Mike gasped in horror. His reputation would not be tarnished just because of one lucky game. This was his life's true purpose!

"Fuck you, okay. I'm great at that game I just let him win" He muttered and stalked off to the kitchen to get some comfort food- pizza. It was always pizza when he was annoyed. Or when he was happy, or even sad...

"That's what you've been saying for the past three times Mike, maybe you should find a new hobby" Luke called to him but he was out of sounds reach. He grinned to the boys, expecting them to be laughing at his joke but instead they were both transfixed in their phones, their fingers moving in a blur as they typed.

He huffed and pulled out his own phone, only to find that he had no notifications or texts. This was common for Luke, he didn't have many people that he talked to other than the boys, but they were already in the same room; it wouldn't make much sense to text them if they were right in front of him. Unless they were secretly texting each other?

Nosily, he peered at Ashton's screen to check but he couldn't see clear enough to see if it was Calum he was texting or not.

"Luke, your nose is practically sniffing out my phone. You really need to get better at being discreet" Ashton tutted, not bothering to even look up. He was too preoccupied to talk to Luke, so was Calum. He slumped back down onto his chair and huffed. Where was Michael when you needed him?

"You guys are so boring, I think I'm going to die" He whined like a child in desperate need of attention. Technically, that was true.

"Mate you're not much of a laugh yourself, all you do is complain" Calum looked over at him for the first time in what seemed like hours and and raised an eyebrow as Luke opened his mouth to object, but stopped himself.

"You know what you need?" Ashton said, putting his phone down and focusing his attention on Luke.

"A life?" Michael bluntly asked with pizza shoved in his mouth as he walked into the living room.

"A personality?" Calum joined in, raising his middle finger up teasingly.

"A girlfriend?" Michael continued and smiled toothily, with clumps of pizza still smeared over his teeth "I could go on for hours"

"Cover your mouth you pig" Luke scrunched up his nose, and turned to Ashton, the only serious one in the group. A father figure of sorts. "What were you saying?"

"Actually, Michaels right" he simply stated and Luke frowned "you need to find a girlfriend, it would do you good"

Calum snorted, bending forward in exaggeration and Luke scowled at him.

He could get a girlfriend, he just didn't want to. At least that's what he told himself every time someone rejected him.

"How's penguin gonna get a girlfriend, look at him!" Michael laughed.

"It's going to be difficult, I know" Ashton mused.

"Oh fuck off will you? I could easily get a girlfriend"

"When was the last time that happened?" Calum questioned and Luke stayed quiet, as if he had to think about it but since the list was sparse, he already knew.

"It was 5 years ago, just after he hit puberty and grew about 10 ft" Ashton informed them and they both nodded.

"Good old Lily. She was a right pain in the ass" Calum muttered.

"Literally" Luke whispered to no one in particular, remember a very painful experience they shared together. It wasn't his fondest memory to say the least.

"Has it really been five years since you've had your gears shifted?" Michael asked in bemusement.

"What are you, my creepy uncle?" He rolled his eyes. "I've had sex since then guys, I'm not that unlucky"

"But have you ever been in love?" Calum questioned, drawing a love heart with his hands and pointing towards Luke.

"No, and I don't think I ever will. Love is pointless and stupid. It just ends in heartache" he lied. Luke secretly always dreamt of a magical, enchanting love like the ones in the romance films. He wanted to fall deeply in love and go on adventures with a beautiful girl that would be brave and smart. He watched them all and he knew that that's what he wanted for his life. But only he could know that, obviously.

"We know that's not true Luke, I've seen all your Netflix recommendations and I just know you cried when Jack died" Ashton pointed out and Luke crossed his arms.

"She said she'd never let go and she just did" he pouted and Ashton smirked knowingly.

"I have a preposition"

"What?" Luke questioned Ashton.

"I know for a fact that you love love. I think everyone who's ever met you could say the same thing. The only problem is you don't know how to find it."

"I do-" Luke butted in defensively.

"Prove me wrong then. I want you to find a girlfriend by Valentine's Day and take her on the most romantic date you can think of. Just like in the movies"

"Fine, easily." He scoffed.

"Id bet all my money that you can't" Michael firmly stated, leaning forwards.

"I second that" Calum laughed.

"Wanna make this interesting then?" Ashton scanned the room to make sure all eyes were on him. "How about we all bet $100 on it? If we win Luke gives us his 100, and if he wins, we give him his"

"Fine, I'll just spend it all on my magical, romantic date" Luke rolled his eyes. In reality he was shitting himself because he knew he wouldn't have a chance, but he put up a front. If the boys knew that he was nervous there wouldn't be much of a challenge and Luke was definitely the competitive type.

"But we need some ground rules" Calum chimed in "You can't just pay some random girl on the street to go on a cheap date with you"

"Of course"

"And we have to meet her, so we know it's genuine"

"Fine"

"And we should be there on the actual date, so we know he's not lying"

"Won't you guys have somewhere better to be instead of spending Valentines Day stalking me?"

They looked around and whispered in a huddle, clearly enjoying this game they had going on.

"Who says we can't multitask?" Calum grinned.

"Okay, fine losers"

"So do we have a deal?" Ashton asked the room and they all nodded.

"Bring it on, bitches" Luke narrowed his eyes at them tauntingly.

He could do this, he had to. Maybe then he could finally get a real relationship or if not a nice new pair of shoes with the money he'd win.

Finding a girlfriend couldn't be that hard, could it?

Authors Note~ Hiiii!
Welcome to my new, short story Valentine!
This book might be a bit different to my last story but I hope you enjoy it all the same. It's going to be a cheesy romantic story that will maybe get you in the mood for Valentines Day? Or even more lonely :D

Either way I hope you have fun!