Choose - Season 1 - Episode 65

Episode 4 years ago

Choose - Season 1 - Episode 65

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“Have you talked to Michael about everything?” I ask Luke.
We were currently lying on Luke’s bed watching The 100. I had spent the last ten minutes going on and on about how attractive I think Bellamy is, but Luke just kept rolling his eyes.

“The last time I talked to Michael was when he called me after I walked out of your apartment.” Luke tells me.
I’ve been so caught up in how i’m going to handle Luke moving, that I forgot that Michael is losing him too. Michael has known Luke for years, I can only imagine how much he is going to miss him.

“I think you should go talk to him.”
Luke sighs as he pauses the show. “I don’t know what to say to him. He’s been my best friend since year ten. Since the day he started at our school we were best friends. How am I supposed to just look at him and tell him i’m moving halfway across the world?”
“The same way you told me. Come on Luke, how do you think he feels? He saw you leave our apartment and then when he called you, all you said to him was that we broke up because you’re moving to England with your mum. Imagine how he’s feeling right now. You need to go talk to him and explain everything.” I tell him.
“He’s gonna be really mad.” Luke says quietly.

“He’s not going to be mad, he’s going to be sad. And that’s normal. But you need to talk to him.”
“Okay.” Luke says as he takes the show off pause.

I look up at him and then back down at the laptop as I pause it again. He looks at me with a confused look, and then a look of realization washes over his face.

“Oh did you mean now?” Luke asks.
“Yeah.” I laugh as I roll my eyes.
He sighs as he shuts the laptop screen and stands up from his bed. He takes off his shorts and slides on his black skinny jeans.
“You’re going to come with me right?” He asks.

I nod my head. “Yeah, only because it’s my apartment you’re going to. But you’re talking to Michael by yourself.”
He nods as he takes my hand in his and we walk downstairs.
“Don’t you have to tell your mom we’re leaving?” I ask.

“No, she’s been on skype for hours with Vince. She won’t even notice we’re gone.” Luke laughs as he opens the front door.

I really am happy that Liz found someone. She deserves to be happy, especially after everything Luke’s father put her through.

–

We pull into the driveway of my apartment building and get out of the car. We walk inside and take the elevator up to my floor.
I open the door to my apartment but it is absolutely silent. Maybe Michael isn’t home.
“Mikey?” I call.

No answer. I see his bedroom door shut, maybe he’s in there. I walk over and knock on his door, but it opens on it’s own since he didn’t shut it fully.

“Thank you so much. Bye.” Michael says as he hangs up his phone.

“Hey.” I smile.

“Hey.” He says as he puts his phone in his pocket.

“Who were you on the phone with?” I ask.
“Huh? Oh, nobody. What’s up?”
“Luke’s here to talk to you.” I explain….. Michael sighs and nods as he sits on his bed.
I silently leave his room and go into the kitchen.

“Go talk to him.” I instruct Luke.
Luke walks into Michael’s room and I walk into mine. I want to give them privacy….


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Luke’s POV……..

I walk into Michael’s room and stand awkwardly. I don’t really know what to say to him. I never imagined a life without Michael, and it’s hard to think that in a few months i’m going to need to learn to live my everyday life without him.
“Uh, hey man.” I say.
“Hey.”
“So um, about this whole move thing…” I start.

“So it’s real then? You really are moving to England?” He asks.
I nod as I look at the floor.
“Why?”

I walk over and sit on Michael’s desk chair. “My mum met this guy Vince while she was visiting my brothers. Things are pretty serious and they want to move in together. But he lives in England and can’t move because he’s the dean of Oxford. He told my mum that with my grades I could get in no problem. But that’s not the reason i’m going. I’m going because i’m basically the only family my mum’s got left. My brothers both moved out and started lives of their own, and my dad started one of his own too. I can’t let her go without at least one of her kids, ya know?”
Michael sighs. “Family first, I get it.”
“You’re my family too, Michael. Don’t think you aren’t. I just can’t let my mum think all of her kids abandoned her or something.”
Leaving Michael and May is the hardest thing i’ll ever have to do in my lifetime. But this is my mum we’re talking about. If anything, Michael and May should understand where i’m coming from.
“She’s the one abandoning her kids. She’s the one packing up and moving across the f-----g world and just expecting you to drop your whole life and start over. How the f--k is that fair?” Michael raises his voice.
“She gave me an option. She isn’t forcing me to go with her, i’m choosing to.” I tell him.

“She’s going to have a happy life with this guy though, Luke! She’ll be fine without you! Your life is here, and now you’re just going to leave it all behind?”

“You think this is easy for me, Michael? I’m leaving my girlfriend and best friend. It’s hardest thing ever. I thought you of all people would understand that I can’t leave my mother.” I say.

“Of course I understand that you don’t want to leave your mum. I would be the same way if my mum was still here. But I don’t think I would ever leave my whole life behind. Your mother is moving to start a life of her own, you should just let her do it alone with Vince.” Michael tells me.

“I don’t expect you to accept this, but I don’t want to fight about it for the next few months that i’m still here.” I say quietly.
Michael looks up at me. “Months? You’re leaving in a few months?”

I nod. “I leave after May’s graduation.”
“That’s in like, four months! You’re telling me that there’s only four more months until my best friend moves across the entire world?” Michael asks.

“Yeah. But i’m coming home for Christmas. So you’ll see me in a few months.” I try to say optimistically.

“Did you hear what you just said. You said coming home. You see Luke, this will always be your home. England never will be. You’re only fooling yourself if you think you can ever be happy there.”

“Michael don’t-”
“And what about May, hmm? You’re just going to leave her here and expect her to wait around for you to come home at Christmas? She doesn’t deserve that, Luke. And you know she’ll never leave you. You’re taking advantage of that.” Michael says.
“I’ve never taken advantage of May!” I shout.

“I never said you did. I’m just saying that you’re taking advantage of the fact that she would never leave you. No matter how unhappy she’ll be when you’re living across the world, she’ll put up with it because for her, seeing you for a week at Christmas every year is worth the misery that she has to feel the rest of the time.”
As much as I hate to admit it, I think he’s right. I’m not doing it intentionally, but I think if I thought that May would break up with me for good, then I would stay here. I know that somehow we always find our way back to each other, which is why i’m choosing to go. It seems heartless of me now that i’m thinking of it like this, but I can’t lose May and I don’t want to lose my mum either.
I don’t know what to do at this point. The last thing I want is to make May miserable. And Michael’s right. She would take being miserable for years over us breaking up. And I would do the same.

“You say you can’t live without May, but that’s exactly what you’ll be doing.”
He’s right.

“You’re wrong. We’ll facetime, and text, and talk on the phone everyday.”
“Right. And how long do you think it’ll be until May meets someone here who makes her happy? Maybe not as happy as you, but nonetheless, happy. A year? Two? Five? How long do you think she’ll put up with the misery of you living across the world for? Because you and I both know that one day it’ll all get to be too much for her. But when that happens it’ll be too late for you to come back and save your relationship. And then i’ll be here to pick up the pieces of my broken sister.”

He’s right again. I think deep down I know that this move will eventually force May and I apart. But I guess a part of me is just hoping that by some miracle, we’ll stay together. I don’t know how long we’ll manage the distance. I know eventually May will want to settle her life down and get married, and have kids. Obviously not for many years, but when the time does come, will it be with someone else? Someone that’s actually there?

“So what you’re saying is that whatever I choose, i’m going to end up losing someone I love?”

“You’re mum will always be your mum. But May might not always be your girlfriend. Just remember that.” Michael tells me.
I leave a half hour later. I didn’t tell May much about Michael and I’s talk. Mainly because it was mostly about how i’m going to end up losing her, and I don’t want to put those thoughts into her head.

I get home and walk upstairs. I walk past my mum’s room to go to mine but she stops me.
“Oh, Luke. Could you come here for a second?” She calls from her room.
I walk over and stand in the doorway.
“Come here.” She says.

I walk into her room and sit on the bench at the end of her bed. She gets out of bed and sits beside me. She puts her hands on top of mine.

“I just want you to know how happy it makes me that you’re coming with Vince and I. I’m just so thankful to have one of my kids still with me.” She pauses to wipe away the tears that have formed in the corners of her eyes. “And I know you’re leaving a lot of people you care about behind, but it just means the world to me that you aren’t going to let me go without anyone. Of course i’ll have Vince, but it’s just nice to know I have my son with me. After everything that happened with your father, and the way you handled it, I was scared we had lost the boy you once were. But you pulled through, Luke. You’ve become the man I always hoped you’d be, and I’m so proud of you. I just wanted you to know that. I love you, Luke.”
“I love you too, Mum.” I sigh.

On the drive home I had almost talked myself into staying in Sydney, but now after my mum’s little speech to me, I don’t know what to do………
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