Rochester Avenue // Luke Hemmings

Chapter 31 - 'I Just Make Too Many Bad Jokes'

Back at the studio on Monday, there was still definitely tension between Luke and Michael, but I could tell Luke was trying. Luke made it clear to everyone that we were, as George has put it, over our 'petty arguments' by coming straight up to me when I arrived and pulling me into a tight hug as well as giving me a quick kiss. I wasn't really one for PDA but when it came to Luke, well, maybe I was. There were no surprised faces at this gesture, not even a raised eyebrow. I guessed that everyone had realized it was only a matter of time before Luke and I had realized how stupid we were being and actually got together. It was true, we had been stupid, and I wish I'd realized it earlier, because now it felt like we'd wasted a lot of time by being mad at each other. John and Kate had kept looking like they wanted to say something about the tension, but then they clearly decided that it was not worth their time to get involved in whatever was going on. I couldn't blame them.

Meanwhile, I was berating Ashton for not telling me about Bryana. "I can't believe you never told me you had a girlfriend. How did I not know?"

"I knew," Fran said helpfully, but she wasn't really paying attention to us. Calum was teaching her how to play guitar, but she was mostly just watching him.

"How did you know?" I asked. "How did everyone know but me?"

"Well, Noelle, I think you were probably too preoccupied with Luke most of the time– ow!" Ashton complained when Michael pinched him.

"I was not that preoccupied," I muttered, and Luke gave me a sly look.

"You definitely were. I'm very preoccupying."

"Fuck off. So why doesn't she ever come to the studio?" I grumbled.

"She probably doesn't like the rest of us," Michael offered, and Luke nodded in agreement.

"We're very intimidating."

"I was thinking more annoying," Michael said, shooting a small smile at Luke. Ashton and I exchanged looks. That was definitely an improvement.

"Well, tell her to come. Fran and I could definitely use another girl around to balance out the testosterone."

"Agreed," Fran called.

Ashton just rolled his eyes. "Well, at least you two got on well."

"She's so much fun! How did you even get a girl like that?"

Ashton and Luke laughed, and Luke said, "Right? She's completely out of his league."

"Luke and Noelle?" John suddenly appeared, looking at something on his phone. "Got a minute?"

Luke and I glanced at each other but followed John out in to the corridor. His eyebrows were furrowed in a concerned way, and I thought to myself that something had to go wrong just as Luke and I were in a good place.

"So," he started, handing the phone to Luke. "You should take a look at this."

Whatever Luke was reading, it made his expression harden, and he bit on his lip ring tensely.

"Noelle," John said, turning to me. "I'm really hoping you're not using Luke for fame."

"What?" I said in alarm. "Is that–" I took the phone from Luke, my eyes scanning the article in front of me. The headline read, 'Noelle Torres, UCLA Student – Using Boyfriend Luke Hemmings For Fame?' My mouth dropped open as I read through it. It was all just a load of bullshit, but something caught my eye. Most of the article consisted of the author quoting a 'close source to Noelle'.

"What the fuck," was all I said when I finished reading it. I looked up and was glad to see that Luke didn't look like he believed it at all. He just looked a little exasperated, like this was normal to him or something. I turned to John. "You don't believe this, right?"