PENELOPE FROWNED WHEN SHE awoke that morning. Everyone was leaving again, and not too much longer after that, Jack and Quinn were leaving for interviews for their job. It felt as if she had just gotten everyone back, and they were departing again. She didn't lie when she said she thought of her friends as a star cluster, sometimes there was a loss of a member. But it always seemed to be multiple for the friend group.

Her loud sigh that absentmindedly slipped past her lips must've signaled Luke, feeling him stir from his side of the bed as he rolled onto his back. His brows creased he realized the frown on Penelope's face from the corner of his eye, causing him to let his head fall to look at her.

"What's wrong?" His voice was raspy from his sleep as he reached his hand closest to her to her hair, bringing a few strands between his pointer and middle finger, his thumb brushing against the ends.

"I don't want them to leave." She confessed while fumbling with the comforter that covered her. She tried to collect her thoughts but instead they seemed to plant themselves between her eyebrows as they knitted together.

Luke frowned at the realization of what today was. Although he wouldn't openly express it just as how Penelope did, he truly did enjoy the company of his friends. The thought of them leaving left a sour look on his face, lip curling upwards and crinkling his nose. But he let that face fall, knowing that Penelope hated departing from one's she loved.

Although they were more like 'see you later's rather than 'goodbye's, it still left a bitter feeling in Penelope's heart. Friendships were much like tomorrows for the girl, knowing that they were never promised. Yes, she would wake up tomorrow and her friends would still be her friends, but there was always a possibility. Heck, she knew that from her 'see you later' with someone who use to be a trusted person. Not only in her life, but also from Quinn's life.

Luke scooted closer to the girl, letting her hair drop from his fingers as her head drooped to the side, eyes settling on his hand that rested on the pillows underneath them. "They'll be back, I promise you that." He whispered out to the girl, watching her eyes flicker up to his with a ghost smile coming onto her face.

He seemed to ease her thoughts, flattening out the thoughts that rested in her mind and bringing her a sense of warmth that seemed to melt her deeper into the mattress as she adjusted to her side, her hand resting on his.

Luke's eyes flickered to the contact before he returned back to her eyes. "Hockey season's coming up, quicker than you think," he grinned as he remembered how it felt to be on the ice with thousands of cheering fans. "You'll be able to go to games in New Jersey, or New York. Which ever you prefer." He chuckled lightly.

Penelope couldn't help her own laugh that escaped her lips as she nodded. Last season she didn't have time for games, besides watching them in the comfort of her dorm. Fashion Institute of Technology put a lot of pressure on her, the school being slightly strict. She was grateful to have ended her time there, ready to start at New York University. Maybe then she would have more freedom.

"Will you have classes on weekends?" He now asked, brushing his thumb against her hand.

She shrugged and returned her eyes to the ceiling. "Probably," she muttered with a small frown. "I hate school." She groaned out, rolling her eyes at the simple mention.

"Two years." He reminded her, smiling as he leaned closer towards her and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "That's all you have left. Two years." He repeated, smiling down at the girl.

Two years too long, Penelope thought and Luke knew that. He loved the way her expressions told him what she was thinking. "You've got this." He grinned before pushing himself off the bed, walking to his closet and grabbing a hoodie to cover his neck for the time being.

—

Penelope rested her head on Angie's shoulder, a frown etched on her face that felt permanent. They had just left the airport, Penelope having a full on hissy fit whenever Trevor's flight was called and now she sat in the back of Jack's car between Luke and Angie while Jack and Quinn sat in the front, the parents following behind them.

Jack's phone began to ring and Penelope's head picked up, eyebrows pulling together whenever he answered it. "Hello?" He questioned, the phone connecting to the speaker in the car.

"Let's go out to eat!" Ellen's voice rang through causing Penelope to smile. "We don't have to be to Mia's appointment for a few hours, so why not." It felt as if she was in the car with them, the girl instantly knowing that she shrugged after her words.

"You guys wanna?" Jack glanced around the car, using the rear view mirror to lay eyes on Angie who sat behind him. She merely shrugged. "Yeah, where we going?" He now asked, leaning his right hand against the center console and rubbed his chin.

"Paddle Diner?" Mia suggested.

"Yes, please! I want pancakes!" Penelope dramatically exclaimed, placing her hands on Jack and Quinn's seat.

Jack chuckled as he nodded, glancing back to the girl. "Paddle Diner." He confirmed causing Penelope to cheer from the corner of his eye.

The parents bid their 'bye's before the line went dead, falling back to the music that played. Penelope sunk down in her seat, resting her feet on the center console despite Jack's complaints. "I wanna listen to Taylor Swift!" She exclaimed, holding out her hands for Jack's phone.

"No, we're listening to good music." He shook his head at the sound of an older country song played causing the girl's nose to scrunch.

"This sounds like my dads music." She stated, earning a laugh from Quinn as he took Jack's phone and handed it back to Penelope. "See! Quinn wants to listen to Taylor." She grinned, placing the phone on her thighs as she put in his passcode that was the easiest thing to remember.

Jack rolled his eyes as he glanced back to the girl. "Just, play songs I know." He pointed back to her before returning his eyes to the road.

She mocked his words as she put on Mine (Taylor's Version), earning a gasp from Angie who patted Jack's seat. "Turn it up, turn it up!" She shouted at the boy, grinning as the song began to play.

Whenever Jack didn't move to turn up the radio, and Quinn was in his own world while texting someone, Penelope sat up and leaned forward, reaching towards the radio as Angie slapped her butt. "Angela!" She shouted, looking back at the girl as she turned up the radio to an ear deafening volume.

"It looked nice!" Angie defended herself earning a loud laugh from Luke who quickly clapped his hand over his mouth.

"I've been violated!" Penelope fell back into her seat with a whine. "Jack, I'm suing you." She said while poking him with her shoe, causing him to push her away.

"Sue me!? What did I do!?" He questioned loudly over the music.

Penelope was silent as she shrugged, leaning her head against Luke's shoulder to get a good sight of Jack. "Existed." She finally stated, earning a dramatic gasp from the boy as Quinn began to laugh loudly at the girls words, finally being pulled from his phone.

—

Taking Penelope out to restaurants had always been an interesting experience for the families, the girl always giving them something new every time they went out. Right now, Ellen had her elbows rested against the table with her hands on her forehead, shielding her face from the surrounding customers.

"Give me my fork back!" Penelope whined as she reached up, trying to grab the fork from Jack's grasp.

"No!? You tried to stab me?" His questioning tone caused Jim to sink down in the booth as he covered his face.

Penelope grumbled as she looked at the boy, her eyes narrowing before she placed her hands on the table, lifting to stand on the booth seat. "Penny, you're going to get hurt." Mia raised her hands in attempts to tell her child to sit down.

Luke laughed, noticing the woman's distress and placed his hands on her thighs in attempts to support her as she wrestled Jack for her fork, letting out a triumphant laugh whenever she snatched it from his hands and began to sit back down in her seat.

"You guys are embarrassing." Ellen muttered although she smiled at the pair.

"Tell me about it." Quinn rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he continued to look at the menu.

Jack shrieked as Penelope jabbed the fork at him, nearly falling out of the chair he pulled up to the table. "Mom, tell her to stop." He was now the one whining as he grabbed Penelope by the wrist and pushed her away as giggles escaped past her lips.

"Nope, new seating arrangement." Ellen piped up, shaking her head causing Penelope to groan as she got out of the seat with Luke following after her. Angie got up and allowed Penelope to enter the booth, sitting next to Quinn before Luke sat down next to her. "No pouting, missy." She pointed to the girl who slouched in her seat.

"Mom, she's still gonna find a way to terrorize him." Luke stated with a crooked grin on his face as he took Penelope's hand in his.

Just as if he manifested it, Penelope blew the paper off her straw and watched as the paper hit Jack in the face, causing his face to contort. "Penelope Jade!" Ellen gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth in attempts to hide her laughter as she at her son who rubbed his nose where the paper had hit.

"Don't laugh." Jack frowned at the blonde woman who quickly had to turn her head, giggling as she looked to her husband as the waitress came out, setting the tray on a separate table.

Penelope smiled whenever her french toast was sat in front of her, reaching over Quinn to grab the syrup before she began to soak her food with the sticky, sugary substance. Quinn's nose turned up as she passed the bottle to Luke. "How does that not hurt your teeth?" He questioned the girl, beginning to cut into his food.

"She bites into ice cream." Angie laughed as she ate her bacon, leaning over to look at Quinn. "She has teeth of steel." She joked causing the girl to nod and shrug.

"Spent so much money on braces and now she's going to ruin them with sugar." Jacob playfully rolled his eyes as he eyed the girl.

"I go to the dentist and take care of my teeth." She defend herself as she cut into her french toast with a laugh.

Her laughter died down as Jack dropped his fork, causing him to bend down and grab it before trying to lean up, causing him to hit his head against the table. Penelope's laugh grew louder as she dropped her utensils on her plate, resting her hands on her stomach as he leaned up a little more carefully, rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't like this place." Jack frowned as he tried to catch the attention of a waitress so he could get a new fork.

—

Penelope stared up at her ceiling that night. She wasn't use to the quietness in the house, use to falling asleep to the loud snores of Cole from down the hall and the arguing of Jamie and Trevor whenever the older tried to cuddle him. Now it was calm, and she didn't know how to accept it.

But that wasn't the only thing wrong, she felt alone. She had gotten so use to sleeping next to someone and this felt weird for her. She let out a loud sigh as she turned to rest on her side, adjusting her pillow. A frown etched on her face.

The pillows weren't the same. From the scent to the way they supported her head. It wasn't the same. The comforter she had draped over her wasn't the same, feeling colder than ever in the queen sized bed.

She took a deep breath in through her nose, her chest rising before falling as she exhaled. She pushed the blanket off of her, standing up and grabbing a pair of shorts from her dresser before slipping them on.

She stalked across the hall, the frown prominent on her face as she placed three gentle knocks on the door. She let out a sigh of relief at the small hum she heard through the wall, causing her hand to reach down to the door knob and turn it before letting the door open.

Luke looked up whenever she walked in, smiling at her messy hair and tired eyes. "I can't sleep." Her brows furrowed as she walked closer to his bed, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked down at him.

Luke sighed as he sat up, adjusting the pillows and scooted over to the left side but not before grabbing her hand and guiding her down to the mattress. She pulled his comforter over herself, a small smile coming onto her face as his scent hit her nose.

She instantly got comfortable, resting her head on his chest once he laid down. His arm wrapped around the girls waist his finger tips beginning to brush up and down the exposed skin of her waist where her shirt raised up. She let out a content sigh whenever he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Luke." She breathed out, allowing her eyelids to fall closed.

"Goodnight, my Lucky Penny." Was the last words she heard before she fell into a sleep, comfortable in his bed and curled up next to him. However, Luke was awake a few more minutes, just taking in her presence before he reached over and turned off the lamp before allowing himself to fall asleep.

wnderify speaks!
i love this chapter