Life after 'The Luke Factor'

By: princessOFdarkness

Almost a year had passed since all of the Luke Striker business, or rather, chaos as most of the inhabitants of Clayton, Indiana liked to call it. Most people's lives had gone back to normal, or as normal as they were before Luke showed up anyways. No one had forgotten about everything crazy that had happened, but no one mentioned it really. Life went on as always, and most people's lives hadn't been affected too much by the whole mess.

Unless of course, you were talking about Jenny Greenley. Her life had been totally flipped uside down and pulled inside out, with no chance of ever being put back to the way it had been. Sure, the whole thing had resulted in her being half of the Clayton High School's favorite 'it' couple, but most people, including both Jenny and Scott Bennett - who was the other half of the 'it' couple actually, thought it probably would have happened eventually on its own anyways. Scott and Jenny were perfect for each other, and as far as anyone could tell, they were as happy and deeply in love with each other as it's possible for two high school students to be together.

Jenny's scoial schedule included making time for herslef to spend with her best friend Trina and Trina's boyfriend Steve, hanging out with her own boyfriend Scott, working on the Clayton High School newsletter the Register, and talking on the phone. Her phone calls, most of the time, were from a very close friend who just happened to live in LA, and go by the name of Luke Striker. Luke and Jenny tlked all the time, at least once a week up until Luke's filming schedules got busy. Luke was always the one to call Jenny, seeing as Jenny'd parents would be more than a bit upset if the phone bill came and showed multiple long distance calls to LA, that and Luke was so rich he didn't really have to worry about the bills and money issues like Jenny did.

It was Thursday, and Jenny had just gotten hme from yet another Register meeting. Today had been very hard for Jenny, and as soon as Steve had pulled up in front of her house that day when he drove her home she had jumped out onto her lawn, waving thank you to Steve and Trina over her shoulder as she ran into her house. Jenny ran quickly up her stairs to her room, shut and locked her door behind her, and flopped down face first onto the bed. Staring sadly up at her alarm clock through very red eyes, Jenny sobbed quietly when the phone rang.

"Jenny, the phone's for you!" Jenn'y mother called from the bottem of the stairs. Still crying weakly, Jenny picke up the phone.

"Hello?" Jenny sobbed, trying desperately to stop crying. "This is Jenny."

"Hey Jenny it's me, Luke." Luke's voice rasped throught the phone, blanketed by static. jenny didn't say anything, wiping her running nose on her sweater sleeve. "Jenny, are you there?"

"I'm still here Luke." Jenny said quietly. She sighed, covering her face with her free hand that wasn't holding the phone. She really didn't feel like talking rght now, but she also didn't want to hang up on Luke. Not that she wasn't thinking about it though. "What's going on in LA?"

"Nothing right now actually. I just finished filming another movie today. I think it's going to be really good, but the critics say otherwise. You know how critics are, they're almost as bad as journalists!" Lke laughed, stopping short when Jenny didn't. "Jenny, what's wrong? And don't say nothing, I know you too well for that. Something's wrong."

"I don't want to talk about it Luke." Jenny said stubbornly. "You don't need to be involved in this."

"What is it Jenny, just tell me. Maybe I can help you." Luke said, trying the best he could to help Jenny when she wouldn't even tell him what the problem way.

"No, you can't help me Luke. No one can help me, it's hopeless!" Jenny sobbed freely, tears falling onto the phone. "I have to go, goodbye Luke."

"Jenny, don't -" Luke started, but but Jenny had already hung up on him, leaving him to listen to the dial tone. Jenny cried for hours, face pressed into her pillows until she fell asleep. Jenny's life was being turned upside down again, only this time, Jenny didn't see how this could turn out okay in the end.

The next day at school, Jenny didn't do anything that involved moving in anyway. She didn't copy down her homework off the board, eat her lunch, read the book she checked out from the librairy the day before, or break up any fights or arguments. The school wasn't sure what to do when Jenny didn't step in to settle things and smooth them over.

"Jenny, are you okay?" Trina asked as Steve drove the both of them home. Jenny hadn't even gone to the after school Register meeting, which was strange. Jenny always went to the meetings, even when she didn't need to be there. "Something's wrong Jenny, and as your best friend I demand to know what's going on."

"Nothing's wrong Trina." Jenny said firmly, ending the converasion. They didn't talk the rest of the way home, choosing instead to sit in silence. When Steve dropped Jenny off, she ran quickly into her house without even saying goodbye.

"Jenny dear, you have a visitor." Jenny's mother called from the kitchen. "I sent them p to your room already, so hurry upstairs."

Jenny walked up the stairs to stand dumbstruck in front of the closed door that led to her bedroom. She reached out a hand and ushed it open slowly. The room was dark, all the curtains pulled down over the windows, the lights turned off. Jenny walked in, shutting the door behind her. There didn't seem to be anyone in the room, or at least anyone that jenny could see.

"Hello?" jenny asked the room, a little scared. Then someone flipped the lights on behind her. Jenny jumped slightly, twirling around to face - Luke.

"Luke?" Jenny asked, struck temporarily dump at the shock of seeing him standing there, in her bedroom. Luke smiled, rushing across the room to pull her into a bone-crushingly tight hug. His embrace enveloped Jenny, mind and soul, making Jenny forget about how terrible everything had become for a moment. Jenny hugged him back, welcoming the slight pressure he was pushing onto her ribs as he hugged her, pressing her face into his shoulder. He's so much talker than me now. He must have grown nearly a foot since I saw him last year at that stupid Spring Fling, Jenny thought, but he's still the same old Luke. "What are you doing back here in Clayton?"

"Well, I knew today was your last day before spring break started because Geri Lynn told me, so I came down to visit you, after all you are my dearest friend. You seemed so upset on the phone yesterday, I just had tocomw back down here to check on you and see if you were okay." Luke said concernedly, causing his eyes to fill with a strange gleam Jenny had never seen there before. "What's happened to you Jen? You were fine last time I talked to you."

"Everything was fine, but that was a month ago that we talked last because your filming schedule got so hectic, remember? I just have been having a tough time lately." Jenny said, pulling away from Luke's embrace to sit on the edge of the bed. "So much has happened since you left here, and hardly any of it has been good for me. Life seems to be great for everyone but me lately."

Luke stood for a while in front of her, his feet the only thing Jenny could see of him as she stared at the floor. Luke stared down at her, unsure of what to do to help his dear Jenny, thinking intently. After some time he sighed, deciding on what he thought was best to do.

"Why don't I take you out for dinner?" Luke said brightly, sitting down beside her on the bed. "You can explain everything to me once we get there, okay?"

"Okay, I guess." Jenny smiled at him, taking the hand Luke offered her, standing up. "Where do you want to go?"

"How about that fancy little bistro in the next city to the south of here? I heard the food is really good." Luke said, jumping the last few steps as they headed for the door.

"Alright, hold on while I ask Mom." Jenny said, rushing into the kitchen. Luke heard Jenny and her mother talking for a while before Jenny reappeared smiling broadly. "She said it's fine, just have me back by one."

"I hope dinner doesn't take that long!" Luke laughed, opening the door for Jenny. They headed outside, where Luke asked Jenny to wait for a moment while he walked over to the tree. From under the low hanging branches, Luke rolled out his Harley from where he had hidden it. "I didn't want to cause a scene, you know? Last time my bike was in your drive way was when I took you to the Spring Fling."

"Good idea." Jeeny said, climping onto the back of Luke's bike behind him. Luke revved the engine, causing Jenny to shrike slightly and wrap her arms around him waist tightly. They drove through the country side on their way to the next town, speeding down the highway. Growing tired and more than a little bored with the lack of things to do, Jenny yawned, laying her head won on Luke's shoulder as her drove her away.