#lovingluke

“So what made you change your mind?” Alexis asked as you 4 walked down the hallway to your lockers. They were all spread out, more or less, but nearby so you guys could meet up whenever. You began solving the Masterlock for yours, paying inconsistent attention to the girls. 

“Could it be that you were finally curious?” Des swooned, listening to her voice behind you as Savannah leaned against the lockers next to yours. Her blue eyes were burning into you. 

“Or maybe you finally decided to take a chance with love?” Savannah teased, smirking as you continued tampering with your lock. Managing to open it, you open your locker door that helped block Savannah from view. You were quick to ignore their guesses as you switched textbooks and slammed your locker shut. 

“Whatever the reason, you should be happy I give enough of a shit to actually go check it out,” you said simply, continuing your walk down the hallway to where the library was. The girls tailed you, quickly sorting their lockers to reach you. Right at the entrance of the library, you found several other seniors already sat, using up their study hall in gossip or actually studying. 

“We are happy,” Des exclaims, her chocolaty hand holding onto your shoulder. “We’re just surprised that you changed your mind so... suddenly.” 

Because I asked Idiot Hemmings for help, you thought. But it’d be almost shameful to think you needed any sort of comprehension assistance from a academically-demotivated, party boy like him.

“I managed to decipher the song,” you lie, staring blankly down your math textbook to hyperbolas. “I think it suggests for me to go there at the beginning of lunch.” 

“The beginning?” Alexis asked, resting her head on your other shoulder as you slowed down for her to keep up. “How come?” 

“Well, it’s a walk to get over there and a walk back,” you said simply, that part being the only thing that you made sense of from Luke’s predicament. “So the beginning would make sense.” 

“Then the next question is who has free period before lunch to set this up?” Des inquired, having that very question provoke your thoughts. 

It does do much of narrowing down. You already figured this out as the boy would play his guitar during your English period, the period before lunch. But you hadn’t given it too much thought then until Odessa had put it out there. It really made you contemplate more on the situation. 

“But all of us can’t check!” Savannah peeped from the back. She quickly went in front of you and began walking backwards, her blond hair flowing towards you but not quite touching you. “We all have class before lunch.” 

“Well fuck,” you said monotonously, finding a spot right by the anatomy room door. You lean against the unused lockers and slid down til your bum hit the cool, green tiles. Filthy, you thought as you began taking off your bag. “I guess that idea is scratched.” 

“Maybe we can ask the boys,” Alexis suggested, sliding down to take a seat right beside you. You felt her soft navy blue sweater tickle your arm, the warmth of it now spreading to you like disease. 

“No!” Des exclaims, taking a seat across from the two of you with Savannah joining her. She tossed her braids behind her shoulder as she rummaged through her ocher, leather bag. “I want just us to solve this, remember?” 

Shit, you thought, biting the tip of your tongue with your teeth. You forgot that Des was completely set on solving this stupid mystery with just you girls. But you had asked Luke for assistance. But she hadn’t made that statement as an official pact, so it was alright... right? 

“But Des, you can’t be so stubborn like that, it’s not gonna--” Alexis began to talk, but you immediately shut her out from the incoming music flowing through your other ear. 

“...’l-lie, I try to hide... but now you know it.’“ 

Singing, approaching from the end of the hallway at a corner. You looked over there and wondered, eyes wide from the voice. Could it be?... No, preposterous! But that tone, the way he’s straining it. The perfect level of clean high pitch with a delicious aftertaste of rasp. That voice, dancing with the guitar playing. Such familiarity... 

Pause. Without real thought, you pushed the textbook off your legs and darted on your feet. The calls of your friends with wander on their tongues was deemed as background sound in your head. You had to know-- had to see who was the owner of the voice. You saw the corner, the door at the end of the very hallway before taking a dashing right to see your potential fate. 

“...’That I’m at an all time--’” You turned the corner, panting as you scanned your sight. You blinked twice in pure shock to know who owned that very voice. 

The blond-haired, blue-eyed devil, Luke Hemmings. He was leaning against the lockers, in his usual black skinny jeans and band shirt. Other kids were ornate in the hall, attempting to study but surely that never stopped Luke from being a brag. Then, with all the girls around him who own brain capacities worth of a teaspoon, they only fueled his urge to be so loud. 

“Low low, low-low-low... low low, low low, low-low-low-- low low, low low...” Luke sang, his eyes closed as he let the music take him over. You admitted, though he was being obnoxious to the studious, he was very musically inclined. You found yourself distracted by the sound until those icy eyes opened and spotted you. 

You stood there, chest heaving, as Luke stared into your eyes, wander and something else you couldn’t quite make up. 

“Y/N, hey!” Luke stopped strumming and cursed his lips into a gentle smile. You sighed, attempting to regain your breath as you listened to feet race towards you. The girls came from the corridor, looking at your distant expression at the blonde boy. 

“Girl, wassup?” Des murmured towards you, having you blink a few times before fully regaining yourself. Looking away from Luke, you felt embarrassed. You had dashed all this way, expecting something that wasn’t it. 

“Nothing,” you said quietly, looking back at Luke with ease. He had been stood there, small dimples lightly denting under his cheeks as he looked at you. Those blue eyes gleamed, cheeks now rosy with a slightly faster breathing pace. “I just couldn’t study because Guitar Boy over here has no respect for his surroundings.” 

“M’sorry about that, Y/N,” Luke apologized sincerely, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he slide his guitar to his back. 

“You don’t need to apologize for anything, Lukey,” a voice chimed, having your eye twitch from the absolute annoyance of it. High pitched and bitchy, a combination that never kissed your ears well. “You were providing a nice tune in this boring hallway.” 

“I never called his singing bad, Nadia,” you said simply, watching as a redhead came from behind Luke. Nadia Winters, standing tall in all her silky glory, rested her hands on her hips. Jewelry hung from her ears and neck, from brands that you couldn’t even pronounce. Scarlet lips pursed, with the bottom lip too thin and the top shaped like chihuahua ears. And then those haunting blue eyes--  

If anything, she was the true blue-eyed devil. 

“And I never asked what you did or didn’t say,” Nadia hissed, having you roll your eyes. She had way too much attitude for a girl who can’t even pick up a textbook. 

“What the fuck you just said?” Des spat, her attitude ringing free as she began to front. But you were quick to get in front of her, glancing back as you stared at the ground. “Y/N--” 

“She’s a waste of energy,” you murmured. 

“Not all of us are energy conservation enthusiasts like you, Y/N!” Des growled, having you nod your head slowly. 

“I don’t care-- of all people to put your energy on, don’t put it on that one,” you emphasized. Des had huffed a bit, tossing her braids back before bringing herself back, too. Nadia glared, allowing Des to vex as she placed her hands on her hips. 

“Good job taming your animal, Y/N,” Nadia said with a smirk. Des gritted her teeth, having you taking her hand and squeeze it. Of all situations you wanted to be in, you did not want to get into a fight. Especially not with someone like Nadia, who can barely handle being fronted. You’d feel bad. 

“You know I could let her just pounce you right now, right?” You highlighted, hoping she understood the luck she had. “Anyways, I just wasted so much energy on you that I’ve developed a migraine. Just fuck off so I can take my leave.” 

“How dare you?” Nadia hissed, beginning to walk to you. But before she could, Luke had grabbed her upper arm, haltering her with his strong hold. She turned to look at him, confused as Luke stared at you. His ocean eyes gleamed, locking his pair with yours with this insane intensity you didn’t ask for. 

“See you around, Y/N,” Luke said quietly, giving you a small, soft smile. It irked you a bit, knowing how genuine and kind Luke actually was behind his pompous being. You couldn’t comprehend these two personalities, so it pissed you off quite a bit. 

“Yeah, yeah,” you waved him off, turning away to save yourself from his gaze. Walking back to your corridor, you heard him begin to strum again and shook your head. 

“Y/N, what happened?” Savannah asked quietly, watching at your newly developed vexation. You felt a vein rise on your temples, a headache yearning to brew as you walked back to your textbook. Sliding back down to the floor, you pick it up and resume reading the text. 

“Y/N, quit being mute,” Alexis urged, nudging your shoulder as you continued reading. She leaned closer to your face, feeling the tip of her nose barely brushing your cheek. “You’re so stubborn!” 

“Is that your word of the day, Lex?” You hummed, flipping the page to analyze more text. “Stubborn.” 

“Yes, because you and Des are super stubborn!” Alexis points out, having you shake your head in denial as you looked up at Des. She was pretending to be shocked, her eyes completely wide with her straight hand over her mouth. 

“I’m not stubborn!” Des denied out loud, having you grin widely before diverting your eyes back down to the textbook. You listened as the two girls bickered, having people feel intimidated to walk past the two of them to go to the proceeding hallway. But it was quickly interrupted when you felt a Rice Krispy Treat hit your forehead. 

“’You’re not you when you’re hungry,’” Savannah quoted, having you grab the blue-wrapped treat. You squinted just a bit to notice it also contained mini M&Ms. You looked up to see Savannah, only to see that Des was already munching on her treat. 

“You’re askin’ for it, Sav,” you mumbled before stubbornly unwrapping the bar to take a bite. The rest of the girls had laughed at you as you quietly ate the food Savannah had given you. 

“This is gonna suck.” 

“Good luck!” Savannah chanted sweetly, clapping her hands together as the sun shined upon her pastel pink nails. You were slouched in front of her, already exhausted as wind picked up in the air around you. Stood on both sides were Des and Alexis, both staring at you with content. Savannah planted her hands on your shoulders for inclusion. 

There you 4 were, stood at the concrete part of the schools courtyard. Several gray lunch tables were outside as well, looking like moons on the gum-ornate concrete. Just a few feet from you began the grass, seeing as many flowers were spread all around in it. Tree were also ornate all over, going from chestnut oaks to red maples. And all the way at the back, where vacancy resided, was the big, pink cherry tree. 

“Why am I doing this?” You huffed, complete doubt finally surfacing. Your eyes just kept looking at the tree, seeing it just sat at the distance, unknown to what’s to happen. 

“Because you’re finally going to take a chance at something that could be amazing,” Alexis encouraged, shaking your right shoulder excitedly. Des shook your left while Savannah draped her arms over your shoulders from behind. 

“Now go get ‘em!” With a sudden push, you were on your feet and tripped a few feet forward. 

You sighed, looking down at the granola bar in your hand. This was your quick lunch so you had something before going home. You had to admit it-- you were nervous. You didn’t really know what to expect. Whoever this boy is-- the musically inclined, well-read artist-- must be coming out of his box to be doing this. Especially with a girl such as yourself. 

“Go already!” Des shouted, having you glance back at the 3 girls before looking back forward. Gulping, you aimed your eyes at the pink tree and began walking. The wind picked up a bit when you came closer, rubbing your exposed arms a bit as you walked. Your heart, for some peculiar reason, was racing. 

I can’t believe I’m doing this. 

Grass crunched under your feet as you began slowing down. The cherry tree bark was introduced to you more clearly, ragged dents look as though done by a dagger. It was a lovely umber color, one you can only see due to the shade provided by the hues of pink petals. Through the slivers of the branches, light came through and shined a light on the bark, making it look more of a tawny brown. 

Wind came back a little harsher, striking the tree with it’s force. The branches danced around you, having you look up to finally see what you were there for. In front of you, ornate with pink petals dancing all over you, were the notes, the white dollops flowing with the wind. There were about 8 total, it seemed. 7 on the left side, and one hanging on the right, low enough that reached your head. 

You looked around cautiously, seeing if there was any body nearby. You even looked back at the school, which looked way further than it actually was. You noticed your friends, finding them so small in comparison to being just a few inches from them. They looked like small brushes of paint of a piece that wouldn’t work without them. 

You couldn’t help but smile at the thought of your 3 best friends. 

Snapping your attention back to the tree, you go closer to the trunk cautiously and place your hand on it. You felt the strikes of holes and the rigidness that was the wood. Splinters could be taking hold of your fingers but you hadn’t pressed your hand too hard against it. But it felt nice, seeing how not intimidating this tree really is. Not that it was intimidating anyways. 

“Hey, Guitar Dude?” You called out, hoping you’d get some sort of response. “If you’re here, d’you mind coming out? I’d rather not go through some really complicated adventure, okay?” 

Nothing. No voice came to relieve you with answers, no words coming from another to reassure you of your sanity. It was sad, really, feeling like you’re talking to yourself. It just frustrated you more about this entire thing. 

Taking steps to the left, you dragged your fingers along the bark before your fingertips merely brushed it. You looked at the notes closely, seeing as they danced with the wind. You noticed swipes of black, reaching up and grabbing one to halt it from it’s dance with nature. Flipping it, you found the number ‘3′ on it. They’re in order, you thought. Backing up, you found the first one and slowly un-knotted the transparent elastic that held it. Holding it lower, you looked at the ‘1′ written and quickly flipped the note open. 

Hi Y/N. Before beginning anything, I just want to say how happy I am that you’ve finally decided to read my words. I wanted so badly to give them to you, and now you’re finally taking them. 

You grabbed note ‘2′ down and read. 

I know this seems real creepy, and it is, honestly. You must think I’m some frigid stalker who can’t confront you because I’m scared. I don’t like to think I’m frigid or a stalker, but I am scared to confront you, considering who I am.

Nervously, note ‘3′ entered your old. 

But I know you, and I know you wouldn’t be one to judge. But I think you’ve already assessed me, and probably dislike me. Which is unfortunate, really, and I hate that that is the image you own of me. 

Note ‘4.’

You may not know me right now, but you will soon. I promise. But for now, I can admit that I do know you. I notice you, notice the things you do. Everything Everything is your current favorite book. Last month, it was Looking For Alaska. 

‘5.’ 

You don’t act so careless, and you’re so smart beyond belief. You study so hard, you have your future set and locked. But it doesn’t seem like you’re having much fun now, huh? 

How does he... you thought, holding 5 notes in your left hand to grab number ‘6.’ 

I know this is super cheesy and gross, but I see you, Y/N. I see how much of an exciting person you are past your thick shell. And it’s not for me or anyone else to see. I want you to see you and I want to see your smile when you do. 

Note ‘7.’ 

This is a complete shot in the dark, but do you mind if we get to know each other this way? I know it’s annoying for you to miss your precious nap time at lunch, but I really think it’s worth it. If you don’t, I’ll back off and trash the song. But if you give me the chance, I promise you won’t regret it. I’ll even buy you lunch so you don’t have to bring any. I’ll throw it out, too! 

You slowly added note ‘7′ to your stack as you held them in your hand. The corners dented into your skin annoyingly, but you didn’t want the wind to take his words. You wanted to keep them, reread them to comprehend, to understand why your heart is racing. 

This is absurd... 

You walked over to the other side of the tree, only to find the number ‘8′ and the word ‘Yank’ under it. You grabbed the string of elastic and pulled it down, only to hear something fall behind you. You flinched and turned around to see a red marker sat on the grass. Now this is getting really absurd. 

Picking it up, you turned back to the note and opened it. You giggled to see what it said. 

It was just like one of those love notes you’d get in the 4th grade. It had the word ‘circle’ at the top and below it were two choices: yes or no. You couldn’t believe it. This guy was obviously still a child, even with the way he has articulated his ask and persistence over someone like yourself. But... what’s the point of breathing without living? 

You circled ‘yes.’ 

Walking away from the pink tree, you couldn’t help but wonder if this is the right choice. Could he be someone that becomes very important to you? Is that okay if he did? It made you nervous as you began peeling open your granola bar to take a bite. Shoving the notes into your pocket, you munched happily on the food. But as you walked, you noticed Des waiting for you at the school. 

“Where’s the other two?” You called to her as you went. But getting closer, you noticed how stressed she was. Her eyebrows were pulled up, worry drunk in her brown eyes as she began waving to you. 

“You’re gonna be late, Y/N!” She rushed, having you turn your legs on as the two of you dashed into the school. “Luke is covering you-- you’re a few minutes late but Ms. Lee isn’t in the class right now.” 

“Covering me?” You said exasperated, finding yourself panting harshly as you turned the corridor to see your classroom in sight. “Fuck, thanks Des!” 

“Girl, no problem!” She chanted, standing still with her hands on her hips as you resumed running. Fuck fuck fuck. You glanced back to wave at Des before you entered the classroom. Your fellow classmates ogled you, but you hadn’t bothered with the eyes as you took your bag off your seat and sat down. You quickly fished your required materials as you listened to Luke’s voice ring from outside the room. 

“...But Ms. Lee, this cut is serious!” Luke said with woe, having him come to view as he was showing his hand off to your teacher. You watched as Ms. Lee rolled her eyes and stared at the tall, lanky boy with annoyance. 

“Luke, you’ve managed to make me 5 minutes late to my class over a paper cut,” Ms. Lee hummed, entering the classroom full of small giggles and snorts. Luke was acting persistent, showing his hand at her desk but she was quick to put her hand up. “Take a seat, Hemmings. The cut will not kill you, I assure you.” 

Several classmates laughed as Luke lent them a smirk. He joined the sit beside yours and was quick to fold his arms on the table and lay his head on them. He slowly closed his eyes, giving you a breif stare before doing so. You looked at his hand, seeing the small cut in his toned skin. Conversation ensued as Ms. Lee began preparing the course for the day. 

“You covered for me,” you said quietly, glancing over to see him reveal his azure eyes once more. He nodded, letting out a yawn. “Tired?” 

“Hungry, really,” Luke admitted with a lazy smile. “Skipped lunch.” 

Without hesitation, you slid your wrapped, half-eaten granola bar to him. He watched, his eyes widening at your sudden gesture. You looked back down to your notebook and opened it to a clean page, picking up your pen to prepare to jot down today’s gesture. You grew impatient for the blonde boy to take your offering, but he still seemed puzzled. 

“I still owe you,” you muttered at him. “But this is thanks for distracting her so she didn’t catch me late.” 

With a smug smile, Luke took the granola bar and took an audible, yet satisfying, bite.