There were many beautiful and complex sides to Luke Inwood and I am one of the lucky ones that got to know them. My friendship with Luke started freshman year of high school. I had heard of him throughout Middle School through his friendship with Paige Pellerin and Laura Fahey, and most importantly through his relationship with Fran- and now I was finally able to put a face to all the stories. He was goofy, outrageous, and absolutely absurd- more than the stories ever did him justice.
When I think of him, the same few memories replay in my head. I think of the time him and Eric showed up to my work unexpectedly and pushed each other around in a shopping cart until my boss made me kick them out. I think of the time he came up to me and my high school boyfriend in the hall and asked me where my real boyfriend was (referring to one of my good friends). I think of the time he changed my foreign exchange student’s settings on COD so that he would win against him because it was too hard to play. I think of the time we tried throwing a football back and forth to each other while driving side by side and him laughing so loud while doing it. I think of playing guitar hero in his basement and him pointing out the chalice he bought on Black Friday. At the same time, I think about him making me go pick out the prettiest flowers with him so that he could attempt to win Fran back. I think about him worrying about if he wrote the right words in a letter to her . I also think about him always hugging me back when I passed him in the hall, even when he seemed too embarrassed to.
I think these are the memories I remember most because they are what made Luke so extraordinary. He was the biggest jackass I have ever met, but he was also the biggest sweetheart. He brought so many people together and always made everyone laugh. When I think of my favorite memories in high school, I always circle back to ping-pong nights at his house or parties at Thad’s. Everyone was there and everyone was happy.
As I sit here and type this while making sure the font is Times New Roman and size 12, I laugh thinking about how Luke got through a school year without a backpack. He did not stress the little things or take much seriously. That is something I have always admired about him. If you did not get to know the sides to Luke Inwood, I feel bad for you. And if you did, my heart breaks for you. Luke was one of a kind and his loss is one that no amount of days or years could ever heal. My heart is and will always be with his closest friends in the Rutland crew and Luke’s family. Love you always KING.
My thanks to Miss Toni for sharing her Luke with all of us. We love you, Princess XXX