#mukehug

“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. 

“It’s too fucking early,” you muttered, keeping in mind to be quiet as you were in the library. Every Tuesday morning, you took up the job of getting the books left to collect dust on the desks and place them back in their appropriate shelf. “Can’t be bothered to talk about this right now.” 

“Des said there were no notes on that tree yesterday!” Savannah began, repeating yesterdays ‘eventful’ news to you. “This is specifically for you!” A librarian suddenly appeared at one of the aisles of shelves and shushed Savannah. She sheepishly muttered an apology before trailing you once more. 

“Or maybe we got the wrong timing of the song,” you mumbled, spewing out a possibility. You didn’t admit you were right about it anyways. 

“I thought you said it wasn’t a hard song to decipher,” Savannah mocked. You rolled your eyes, rolling the cart of books as you parked it by another table. You began gathering the books sprawled on them, checking the checkouts before placing them on the cart. “Y/N, you’re the one to receive those notes.” 

“Oh no, how tragic,” you sarcastically mumbled, reading the checkout of a book to see the dates. You placed it on the developing stack of books you were creating. “This stalker should’ve chosen someone who actually gives a shit.” 

“Secret admirer,” Savannah corrected. “Also, he probably didn’t have a choice. He probably fell for you without even trying, Y/N. It must be his destiny to chase you.” You sighed, leaning across the desk to ask a seated kid if he was reading the book that was just sat there. He nodded no, having you nod before grabbing the book. 

“Man, you won’t let up,” you groaned, pushing the cart towards the CD area of the library. Although it’s only a series of book audios and music, people tend to leave books on the desks as well. “How about go be useful and find the other two? They’re probably on the second floor.” Savannah nodded, rushing away from you as her skirt danced from the sudden velocity. 

Relief washed over you as you slowly entered the section. You found several students with headphones plugged into CD or cassette players. You tried your best not to distract them as you found books just spread all over vacant tables. You checked out 7 of them before firmly placing them on your cart. You then saw one book that caught your attention. 

Everything, Everything. 

It was currently one of your favorite books. The entirety of the story sent goosebumps all around your arms every time. You loved the way the author captured love between a boy who was outside by choice and a girl who was sheltered in by force. And the fact of the matter was that you were going to read it again. 

You opened up the book to the very first page, just for your breath to be taken away. 

The entirety of it was covered by white post-it notes. With each one, there was part of a whole drawing made with what looked like paint. You held the book up and a bit far from you to widen your eyes even more. It was a cherry tree, one of the richest hues of pinks and browns. You didn’t know what to say or think, looking around to see anyone suspicious. But there was no such face. 

Checking the checkout paper of the book, you saw that it was as well covered in a white post-it note. And it read: Why won’t you come to the tree, Y/N?

You blinked, removing the note real quick to stuff it in your pocket. You looked around once more before turning the page of the book. You flipped through the rest of them, seeing slivers of white on the first 10 pages before returning to the one you stopped at. 

Before anything, I just wanna admit how grateful I am that you opened the book. 

Turn page. 

I love this book, and I hope I don’t sound too insane, but I wish we were them. 

Turn page. 

Olly can freely be outside whereas Maddy was forced to be inside. 

Turn page. 

But for us, it’s the twisted opposite. 

Turn page. 

You choose to shelter yourself away from others while I’m stuck on the outside, desperate for an entrance. 

Turn page. 

I just want to dive into you, Y/N. 

Turn page.

I want to see you at your most embarrassed moments. 

Turn page. 

I want to listen to you sing when you listen to your favorite band. 

Turn page. 

I want to see you dance while cleaning up your room. 

Turn page. 

I want you to become my everything, everything. 

You quickly removed the notes from the book, cautiously putting them in order as you stuffed them into your pocket. You didn’t even know what to think. But it was obvious this boy has had his eyes on you for a long while. He must be a stalker-- knowing what books you like, knowing when you steal insignificant items. 

As you continued your book checking, you began gathering several aspects of this case to get closer to knowing who this person was. It was obvious that this person had to be in your year, seeing as you barely interacted with the lower grades, let alone anybody else in your class other than your best friends. This person also is musically talented, seeing as he wrote a song and plays guitar. He also must have a fairly fluent schedule to be tying notes to a tree fairly far away. Also being able to sing that song during your English class provokes some curiosity. 

Fuck, you thought as you slammed a book closed. Why am I thinking about this so much? I don’t care! You huffed your way through your library job, just on time to go to your next class. 

“Y/N, he’s asking you to be his everything, everything!” Savannah whispered cheerily, having you groan as you dragged your eyes left to right on your text book. History had been the only class you shared with all the girls, having it be the hardest class to focus on due to their hyperactive energy as a whole. “How can you not go insane over this?” 

You rolled your eyes, glancing up from your read to see Savannah’s ecstatic face before you. You 4 had always put your desks together, having you be in front of Savannah, next to Alexis, and diagonal to Des. You looked up at Savannah, seeing as her blonde hair danced down until the tips had touched her desk. 

“He’s some creepy stalker, Sav,” you whispered, diverting your eyes back down to the page. “I don’t care for stalkers.” 

“So then you won’t go to the tree because you’re scared?” Alexis dared to test, having you look up and blink at her once. “Someone who wants to break through to your shell?” 

“Alexis, fear is a social construct,” you began quietly, turning the page to the topic of World War II. Some of your black nail polished chipped on the page. “Anyways, they obviously don’t know what they’re getting into.” 

“They do if they’ve accepted the challenge,” Alexis began, having you feel your heart skip one beat. “You just have to close the books and take the chance.” 

It was absurd in your head. The idea of someone attempting to approach you. The brainiac of the year, the girl who cares more for literature than love. It’s not like you asked to be an overachiever anyways. Many people misunderstand you, hence why your friend group is handpicked wisely. 

“This boy won’t like me once he sees my colors,” you spoke briefly, turning another page. Des was quick to look at you and grab your hand, feeling how smooth it was. She smelled of coconuts today, probably from that new Chanel perfume Savannah had bought her. 

“You’ll never know if you keep him in the black and white, Y/N,” Odessa said calmly. You were hesitant, but looked up from the textbook to see your friend. She had a soft expression, giving you a reassuring smile. “He wants to mean something to you, more than these black and white books.” 

“How do I know he’d want my colors then?” You asked her, pure curiosity dawning you. 

“Because,” Des began, her smile much wide now to reveal her clean, white teeth. “You must’ve been a different shade he’s never seen before.” 

Today’s lyrics were ‘be my everything, everything.’ 

The song was especially provoking your mind today as you entered your Anatomy class. Luke, of course, wasn’t present just yet. So you took it to yourself to open your notebook and stick all your notes onto the last page of it. You didn’t want it to crumple anywhere, so surely your notebook was the best idea. 

“Why does he want someone like me?” You whispered to yourself, forgetting that you were now in a loud, but crowded, classroom. 

“Why does who want someone like you?” You blinked a few times before tilting your head slightly up. You were taken aback to find Luke’s face just a few inches from yours. His elbows planted on the table, with his hands used to keep that stupid head up. But his eyes were consuming you in a trance you didn’t ask for. 

“How about putting that curiosity into anatomy, Luke?” You scoffed, looking to see a substitute take a seat at Ms. Lee’s desk. You were already disappointed, frowning at the obviously nervous substitute as you rose from your seat. 

“My priorities are ordered differently than what you’d like, Y/N, sorry,” Luke said, zero sympathy on his tongue as he trailed you. You walked over to the desk without a word, picked up the assignment stack and began to hand them out. “So anyways, someone likes you?” 

“It’s none of your business, Hemmings,” you began, quieting down to give him the cue to lower his voice as well. 

“Why do you choose to be so cold like this?” Luke asked in a hush tone as you handed out the work to a duo table. You glanced over at him, seeing his lanky figure bend to meet his head with yours. His hands were stuffed him those skinny jeans pockets as he trailed you. You also notice pairs of eyes now watching you due to the blonde boy’s presence around you. 

“It’s not that I choose to be cold or am cold anyways,” you said quietly while hanging out more of the papers. “I’m just not focused on that sorta stuff right now.” 

“What, love?” Luke announced ponderously. You choked. Halting, you look over at Luke and give him a good stare. His eyebrows were a little tilted, but going upward towards the middle of the two. His ocean eyes glowed, but there was a dullness in it that was obvious. As of recently, you could tell that they no longer shine like they used to. Attending school with him for a good 3 years made you awful familiar with his expressions and change of mood. 

“I wouldn’t call it love at all,” you began with a shrug, looking away as you entered the other aisle of tables. “It’s just a small, stupid crush out of pure boredom, I’m sure.” 

“How do you know how another person feels about you?” Luke began. “I mean, it’s their feelings, not yours. So how do you know the level of how much they care about you?” 

“For once thing, they’re a secret admirer, therefore a stalker too shy to confront me,” you muttered quietly. “So they obviously don’t care as much if they’re just hiding their identity. Probably for their own little cruel joke or something.” 

“Or maybe they love you too much to reveal themselves to you,” Luke suggested. You looked over at the blonde boy, seeing as he was distantly looking down at the beige tiles. His bottom lip was pushed out, shiny with a layer of Blistex smacked on it. “They don’t want to disappoint you, maybe, with who they are.” 

You studied Luke for a good moment. His ocean eyes were now soft, no longer stern or really curious. They were wandering off, probably lost in some sort of thought. His face was just staring wistfully to the ground, like his very own words caught him speechless. And, you could admit it to yourself, too: his words were of pure sentiment. 

“Hemmings,” you began as you handed the final sheets of paper to the shared table of you and Luke’s. “D’you reckon you can do me a favor?” 

“What does it consist of?” Luke asked as he took a seat beside you. You looked down at the sheet of paper, focused on it fairly well while holding the conversation you began with Luke. He began tapping the table with the tips of his rough fingers. 

“So my secret admirer/stalker happens to be musically inclined,” you began, having his tapping stop as he studied you intensely. “And I don’t know shit about lyric meaning too well, so I was wondering if you could... um...” 

“...Figure out the meaning for you?” Luke finished, having you nod as you began filling out the sheet. You grabbed the note with the lyrics from your notebook (credits to Des, of course) and handed it over to Luke. You explained to him what you had so far, noticing his attentiveness with nods and ‘mm.’ You gave him most of the period to read it, allowing you to finish the work as he did. 

“So did we go wrong anywhere, or?” You asked, having Luke begin to open his mouth to utter words, But before he could, the dismissal bell rang as all the students, including the sub, flooded out of the room. As you packed your things, Luke was quick to place his hand on top of yours to stop you, feeling the mountains of arid callouses of his hand. 

“Wait up for a few minutes?” Luke suggested, having you reluctantly nod as all your classmates poured out of the classroom. As you zipped your book bag closed, you noticed Luke swiftly go to the door and close it. He even taped a piece of paper over the small glass window of the door. 

“You could tell me tomorrow, you know,” you said simply, taking a seat on the table rather than the chair as he slowly walked up to you. Luke grinned, taking a seat beside you on the desk. 

“I would, but I know you wouldn’t want to use any more energy on me within the span of 2 days,” Luke began. “So I might as well get this over with so you can be done speaking with me.” 

“O-oh, yeah...” You stuttered. Although you didn’t care for Luke Hemmings and his wild antics, you couldn’t help but falter from his words. You knew how careless you were, but you didn’t realize you let off such a cold aura. 

“Anyways, this guy probably wants you to leave right at the beginning to lunch,” Luke began, having you frown in confusion as you watched his blue eyes study the sticky note. “Eat before three could be eat but not at lunch, considering how long it takes to go to the tree then back to the school.”

“How did you get that conclusion from just 3 words?” You asked, pure curiosity rolling off your tongue as you stared at the perfectly chiseled jawline of the boy. You watched as he let out a simple sigh, his rose lips slightly parted to breathe calmly. 

“It’s only a guess, just like yours,” Luke said simply. He handed the note back to you without meeting your eyes. He stuffed his hands back in his pockets as you shoved the note in your pocket. “You’ll never know until you try.” 

“What if my attempts prove to be vain?” You said quietly, watching as Luke stood from the desk and slowly began for the door. His curls danced with his movements with ease, shining a dirty yellow from the after school sun. He freed one of his hands to let sit on the shiny, gold doorknob. But he stood there, with a smile forming on his lips. 

“Then remind yourself of August,” Luke said quietly, looking over to give you a soft gaze. “Let me know how it goes if you go to the tree.” And with that, Luke Hemmings had escaped through the door, ripping the paper off of the window before he took his exit. 

“Popular schmaltz,” you murmured, holding your face with one hand as you felt blood surge right up your cheeks. 

On your desk resided your hands, clammy and still. Below your hands was a black, spiral notebook. To your right sat a mechanical pencil, red with size 0.5 lead. Next to that was a Bic pen you found in another classroom. Surely, it wasn’t yours, but you were too tempted to leave it alone. 

There it is again, you thought. Guitar boy is back. Every day in your English Literature class, there was this mysterious singer who sung nearby. He was never in sight from the classroom, impossible to find him even when you changed angles. As much as you wished to ignore it, it was impossible. 

After all, this voice picked on you every time. 

The same tune would be played, using the same chords every single week day. He has yet to make a mistake. It was an average 4-chord beat, who could mess that up? The voice type was a baritenor, the intriguing combination of tenor and baritone. He always sniffles right before beginning his tune. 

“Go to the pink tree, 

eat before three. 

Take my notes before the wind, 

don’t let my words go unpinned. 

Hung by a single thread,

don’t let my words go unread, 

Bic Pen Taker”

And there he goes. The guitar playing slowly fades away, all pairs of eyes still diverted to the front of the classroom. They had known this routine, too, and no longer thought anything of it. Even the teacher, Mr. Murphy, self-concluded that this was some sort of brief music session. It barely lasted a minute, and completely dissolved right after the tune. 

You paid no mind to it as well, refusing to interrupt your course of life. But, surely, your best friends wouldn’t dare let it leave your life. 

“‘Bic Pen Taker?’“ Savannah exclaimed, slamming her petite hand down onto the circular lunch table. She was a lovely thing when her mouth was shut. Perfect blonde locks danced down to the middle of her spine, loose curls at the end. She was very pale, very slim, and extremely preppy when it came to her clothing. Usually skirts and dresses with 3-inch heels to make her feel like an adult. “Y/N, you cannot ignore this!” 

“It really is big to pretend like it’s nothing,” Odessa, poking at the rim of her forest-green glasses. She was the loveliest shade of hot chocolate, her skin smooth and noticeable. Curvy one, she is, with braids that went down to her bum. Surely, your eyes diverted down to her curves, but what can you do? You concluded yourself to be a ‘bi-curious fuck’ when you first saw Halsey. Anyway, Odessa, or Des, was shorter than the rest of the group, but that just made her more endearing. 

“‘Eat before three?’ What’s that supposed to mean?” Alexis began, holding up a pink post-it note up to her face. Probably the cutest brunette, Lexi had freckles decorated all over her nose and cheeks. You were always tempted to take a Sharpie and create constellations. With a button nose and a kind smile, Alexis was definitely someone who stole peoples’ focus every time. 

“Don’t waste your time attempting to decipher it,” you groaned, resting your head in your arms as you looked down at the grey lunch table below you. It was cool, giving you a pleasant sensation. It was very in contrast from the muggy feeling provided by the crowded lunch room. “It’s a stupid song.” 

“It’s not stupid!” Savannah hissed, holding up her own post-it with the lyrics. “This is a secret admirer, Y/N! Straight-out-the-movies secret admirer!” 

“And I give a shit because?” You murmured, looking distantly at the entrance door where students pooled inside the room. Odessa shoved you playfully, sticking the note on the table before resting her elbows on the table. She hangs her head upon her fists, her cheeks pooling up her face as she studied the note. 

“Because he won’t stop pestering you indirectly until you do what he asks,” Alexis pipes. Shit. Good point. “It’ll never end if you keep putting it off.” 

“You’re right,” you respond calmly, closing your eyes to allow your weary body to refuel. Exhaustion always taunted you at school, but once you were home, some odd energy gets released and you’re wide awake until 2 in the morning. “Still don’t care enough.” 

“This has been going on since the beginning of the year, and it’s only been 2 months, Y/N,” Alexis points out, having you still shrug off her good points. 

“If we made sense of the song, you’d surely care then, wouldn’t you?” Odessa mumbled, turning over to you. You opened your eyes once more, slivers of your eyes being revealed to your friend group. They all stared with some odd frustration that you couldn’t really comprehend. 

“Ya’ll are acting like this song is complex,” you mumbled, having them stare back at their notes worth of the lyrics. You loved these girls dearly, but their brilliance put together and averaged out would be ‘meh.’ 

“So what does it mean?” Savannah hummed, tossing her post-it over to you. It hovered and indirectly glided to you, one of its corners hitting your elbow. Groggily, you forced yourself to sit up. You used one hand to weave your fingers into your hair to fix it up a bit. “The only part we got to is the ‘pink tree,’ which is that cherry tree in the courtyard.” 

“Oh wow, I’m so proud,” you sarcastically spewed, having Savannah roll her eyes as you picked up the thin sheet of paper. You held the paper, one hand holding it between your middle, index, and thumb as the other tapped at one of the pointy corners. “Yes, the ‘pink tree’ in this case would be the cherry tree that nobody gives a shit about.” 

“Why don’t people go there again?” Odessa asked, genuine wander sliding off her tongue. 

“Because it’s far as fuck,” Alexis breathed as the girls resumed to stare at you. The pairs of blue, brown, and green eyes frightened you as you kept yours diverted to the paper. 

“‘Eat before three...’ that’s probably another way of saying go there after lunch or before we get out of class,” you said with a shrug. It was your best guess, honestly. That line was just a bit tricky. “‘Take my notes before the wind, don’t let my words go unpinned.’“ 

“So you do care!” Savannah exclaimed, slamming her hands upon the table once more. Odessa’s milk carton jumped a bit as Alexis’ leaning position had been ruined by the sudden vibration. “You know the tune!” 

“That’s because it’s sung literally every day,” you groaned. “It was just like the ‘Call Me Maybe’ apocalypse where nobody could shut up about it.” Odessa snorted from your remark as you resumed with your analysis. “Anyways, that means that this kid would want me to go and read those notes and let them not be wasted.” 

“Cuuute,” Alexis moaned, having you shrug in complete oblivion to her definition of ‘cute.’ 

Sigh. “And then it’s ‘hung by a single thread,’ so string probably tied around a branch,” you said monotonously. “And again, he doesn’t want his words to be wasted so he wants me to read them. And then the ‘Bic Pen Taker,’ so obviously he knows that pen wasn’t mine.” 

“So he’s got his eye on ya,” Alexis teased, her smirk trying to indicate some sort of romantic reference. 

“More like he’s stalking me,” you groaned, tossing the paper back to Savannah as you rest your head once more into your arms. “No offense, but I don’t really like stalkers.” 

“He’s not stalking you,” Savannah tries to mellow the situation, but that definitely won’t do. Guitar dude is definitely stalking if he watched you while you were alone in a classroom stealing a pen. Creepy if you asked anybody. “He’s just interested but doesn’t know how to approach?” 

“Does that make him shy or what?” You mumbled, extremely bored with the conversation. 

“That makes you aloof,” Odessa brings up, having you frown at the chocolate girl beside you. 

“I’m not unfriendly,” you began with a touch of attitude. “I just don’t dedicate enough energy to make any more friends than I have to. If I don’t have to do it, I won’t.” 

“You’re colder than Antarctica, Y/N,” Alexis pouts, having you roll your eyes as you slowly closed them. You enjoyed napping, it was one of your favorite pastimes. It was overall easier, and required approximately no energy. But, as much as you wanted to sink into the bliss that is slumber, you were still in school with others far more... bombastic than yourself. 

“Oh shit, they’ve got pizza today!” Exclaimed the typically loud and annoying Michael Clifford. Eyebrow pierced, dyed blue hair, and immensely pale Michael had broken you from your attempts of a nap. You open your eyes in annoyance, seeing as the regular quad entered the cafeteria. 

Michael Clifford, the energy of the group. Calum Hood, Mr. I’m So Suave Because I Serenade Girls With My Guitar. And then Ashton Irwin, probably the friendliest person in heart and looks. Although they weren’t fawned over by all the girls like in the movies, they definitely weren’t ignored. Being the only legit band of the school, they were fairly known to get booked into the popular peoples’ parties and become the lives of the party. But it seems like they lacked something today. 

“Ash!” Alexis called the boys over, having you sink your head deeper into your arms until your nose touched the cold table. Fuck obligated interaction. It’s not that you hate people or anything. You just don’t want to spend so much energy on them. Odessa rubbed your back as you groaned quietly. 

“Hey Alex,” Ashton came, greeting her with his usual kind voice and lovely eyes. You tilted your head slightly to see, seeing one simple pleasure that was Ashton’s dimples when he smiled. “Savannah, Des. Hey, Y/N.” Of course he says your name in a separate sentence.

“Hey boys,” Savannah said, seeing as she smiled when Michael came over. It was rather strange with these 6. It was immensely obvious that Lex liked Ash, Sav liked Mike, and Des liked Cal. And vice versa, of course. But it’s the usual yucky high school love story where they all have to face complications before their happy ever after. Also, you hated the last member of the boys’ group. 

He was energy consuming, for sure. 

“Ladies,” Calum cooed, revealing a cheeky smile as Des leaned her cheek against her fist to ogle the Maori boy before her. You looked away, snapping your neck to face the other way to not see this gross love connections these 6 were having. You looked distantly through the cloudy windows, seeing the other students outside at the courtyard where more tables resided. You subconscious tried to find the cherry tree, but it was immensely far and there were too many oak trees in the way. 

“When do you wanna work on our English project, Lex?” Ashton asked, having those two discuss about whatever the hell project they’re doing. You could hear the other four discuss about some performance they’re having at some venue that you couldn’t even care less about. Along with their conversation, several others came into play as extremely loud background sound. 

“Hey, Y/N!” Michael called your name, having you sigh before sitting up and turning back to the rest of the group. All pairs of eyes were now on you, having you blink twice before staring up at the pale boy. “What’re you doing here?” 

“What do you mean?” You asked, pure confusion erupting in your mind. “I’m in school, trying to enjoy my lunch break.” Calum was quick to go and give Michael a slap behind his head, having him rub it while glaring at Calum. 

“He’s being stupid, as usual,” Calum suggested, having you barely smirk as Michael hissed at the Maori boy. “He just means that we always see you asleep or being lazy when you’re in school, so it’s odd to see you here.” 

“It’s not that I’m lazy,” you began with a shrug. You rubbed under your eye, cautious not to ruin the light makeup on your eyelids. “I just conserve my energy is all. Speaking of which, where’s the other one?” 

“Oh, you mean Luke?” Ashton asked, having you nod in confirmation. The other girls looked at him as well, just as curious about the missing blonde. “Lunch detention.” 

“What did cool boy Luke Hemmings do this time?” Savannah giggled, mocking the position that boy somehow held. But, of course he held the cool boy title. Blonde, blue eyes, devilishly handsome and lead singer of his band. Can we get any more cliche than this? 

“He drew a dick on the chalkboard over there for Ms. Lee’s class,” Calum said quickly, having you analyze his face as he spoke. Such a quick response. “Since it’s anatomy anyways, he claimed it’s for ‘educational purposes.’” 

“I see.” The conversation derailed quickly to the boy’s performance coming up this weekend. 

“Here’s the invites,” Michael began, smiling contently as he handed out the small flyers. There was a coffee stain in the right hand corner of each, having you roll your eyes at the boy. “All the info you might ask for is on there, trust me.” Savannah giggled, the two locking eyes quickly. 

“Oi, what are those notes you got there?” Calum began, pointing at the girls holding the lyrics in their spare hands. They were quick to press it against their chests with their faces losing it’s calm color. 

“Nothing,” you spoke for all 3, having the boys look strangely at all of you before headed off for their food. As they did, a few girls walked up to them and joined their stroll over for the pizza Michael long desires. Once they were no long in sight, the girls sighed in relief and put the notes back down. 

“That... was close,” Savannah said calmly. 

“Why the hell are you hiding them?” You asked all the girls. “Wouldn’t you think that they could help us decipher it? Being musicians and shit.” 

“Nah, we’re doing this ourselves,” Des began with a wide smile. “I want us to solve it. I’m trying to be an accomplished bitch, you know.” 

“Mm, I see,” you hummed before residing your head in your arms again. “Still not gonna go.” 

“Then I’ll go!” Des offered. “I have a free period after lunch so I can definitely check it out and share the note with ya’ll.” The other girls nodded in excitement, having you shrug simply at her choice. The girls had a few more discussions with you attentively listening, wasting the minutes before lunch had sadly reached an end. 

“...Okay class, take your seats, please.” Ms. Lee’s voice struggled over the sound of the students shuffling and finding their seats. You were always the first one in the room, already seated with your required materials out. You picked at your nails, enjoying the brief moment of being alone at your seat before the annoyance came. 

“I’m here, Ms. Lee!” And there is the nuisance. 

Luke Hemmings announced his arrival, stirring the class with laughter as he grinned giddily at your teacher. She kept her face stern, amused by his stupidity. He was leaning against the door frame, one arm straight up and holding the frame with the other resting on his hip. He stood with one leg, the other bent slightly in front of it. The usual skinny black jeans, a Nirvana shirt, and completely black converse, Luke looked of a punkrock try hard. 

“I see,” Ms. Lee murmured, agitation evident on her face as Luke strutted over to the seat beside yours. You clapped your hands together, shutting your eyes to pray briefly as the blonde boy adjusted himself on the wooden stool. You then began to wonder why the teacher hadn’t used his lunch detention as leverage for a clever remark. 

“Hey, Y/N,” Luke greeted, having you look over to see both hands weaved and under his chin as he stared at you. As annoyed as you got from seeing his face, you couldn’t help but adore his eyes. They were this ocean color, the one where the sky is perfectly blue and the sun was licking the beach. 

“Luke.” You turned away, no longer bothering to stare as you prepared for the lecture that proceeded. Luke always sighed in disappointment, always having you glance to see his eyes dim. You didn’t understand why, seeing as you two hardly knew each other and you had incredible doubt that Luke actually gave a shit about you. 

After the lecture, Ms. Lee had begun to pass out the tests. The assignment was already up and ready, having you the only student to jot suffice notes and begin a sketch of what you were to do. As you doodled, you notice Ms. Lee place Luke’s graded test. He grabbed it, holding it up as he smirked. 

“Yikes,” he uttered, having you shake your head at how careless he was. A 62 percent. That’s one of many reasons that you found Luke so infuriating. He didn’t care a single cent about his grades, taking them as a joke almost all the time. “Looky!” He turned around and showed it to the students behind you two, having them laugh with him as he passed it around. 

“You’re such a dope, Luke!” One of his friends said with a chuckle, having Luke laugh even more. Others laughed at him, fueling his idiotic antics and ways. Even though you didn’t care at all for Luke, you suddenly found yourself annoyed at his carelessness. 

“Luke, cut it out,” you said simply, having his group of friends silence themselves as he turned over to you. You felt his eyes, refusing to lock yours with them as you continued your sketch. “You need this class-- quit being such a dolt.” 

“Woah,” Luke said with awe, having goosebumps rise on your arms from his breathless word. You didn’t know what to think, with the way his clean, hoarse voice uttered the word in pure disbelief. “I didn’t think you’d care about it, Y/N, let alone anything I do.” 

“Correction: I don’t care,” you pointed, getting over your momentary mental ogle from his voice. “I just don’t want you expressing your stupidity around me.” Luke blinked, having you indirectly stare as he leaned closer to you. You leaned away, somewhat revolted by his antics. “What?” 

“I have an idea,” Luke began, having you already try to tune him out. “How about the 3.8-GPA student tutor me about anatomy?” 

“No,” you immediately shot him down. 

“C’mon now!” Luke kept trying, leaning closer to you as you found yourself flustered from his sudden closeness. “We can get real in-depth about the body... talking intimately about my anatomy and--” 

Suddenly, the dismissal bell rang. 

“In your damn dreams, Hemmings,” you announced, slamming your notebook close as you poured your items into your backpack and fled the room. Luke was wise not to call you back or chase you, having relief wash over you as you exit the school. 

You managed to catch up with Savannah and Alexis, listening to their heavy projects and paper homework. And you agreed: homework is a serious no-no. But how else could you retain your intelligence? It was the only thing you actually put energy into anyways. 

“Sav, Alex, Y/N!” Suddenly, Des’s voice called to all of you, having you halt and turn around to see the girl hurry to you guys. Cliques all around walked past as Des stopped running and gave herself a moment to breathe. “Goddamn... ya’ll walk damn fast, Jesus...” She panted, standing up straight with her chest heaving. 

“You alright?” Alexis asked, concern painting all of your faces as you stared at the short girl. Des nodded, waving it off as she adjusted her bookbag. “What is it? Everything okay?” 

“No...” She said breathlessly. 

“Why? What’s wrong?” Savannah allowed pure concern to roll off her tongue as you three stared at Des’s surprised face. She then turned to you, having you blink a few times until you listened to the words that left her plump lips. 

“I went to the tree,” Des said simply, weaving her fingers together, somewhat nervously. “But the notes weren’t there.”