with a raised brow. “You were passing notes with Luke Chambers in detention?”
“Well, not really,” I argued. “Just one note.” I felt silly justifying it, but I didn’t want Danielle thinking something was going on when it wasn’t. Val would be asking him to the prom any day now, and I didn’t want Danielle to get her hopes up that Luke and I would end up together. It just wasn’t meant to happen.
“There he is,” Danielle said motioning to the bottom of the bleachers. I watched him as he climbed up the stairs two at a time and stopped next to me.
“Well hello, Luke,” Danielle greeted. I could tell she thought he had come because of me, and she was feeling smug. Clearly, he had wanted to see Nate and Megan’s showdown.
“You know, detention was going to be over in another ten minutes,” I teased. “You didn’t have to go to such extreme measures to spring us.”
He flashed me a mischievous smile, dug into his coat pocket and tossed my sparkly pink flask into my hands.
I was shocked, almost speechless. “What? How?” Luke shrugged.
“I went back after everyone was gone. She left her desk unlocked. Scored a cool lighter,” he replied, casually twirling a black lighter with red flames around his fingers.
I couldn’t believe it. He had pulled the fire alarm and evacuated the school to get my flask back. No one had ever done anything like that for me before. Overcome with emotion, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. However, once I felt him up against me, I realized what a mistake I had made. I was grateful, but I didn’t want him thinking I was throwing myself at him…even though I kind of was. Obviously surprised, Luke seemed to struggle with what to do with his hands for a moment before I felt them settle lightly on my hips. It felt really nice—too nice. I needed to keep it casual so I pulled away quickly.
“Sorry,” I began trying to sound light and breezy, “I didn’t mean to attack you. I just can’t believe you did this.”
“All in a day’s work, Cross,” he replied sarcastically. Something told me he was trying to keep it light and breezy too, but that strange expression was back on his face. “I’m taking off,” he finally added. “Meet me here tomorrow at noon?”
“Absolutely,” I replied watching him slowly walk back down the steps, lighting a cigarette once he reached the bottom. I looked down at Danielle after Luke had left.
“I can’t believe you don’t see it,” she said in a serious tone.
“Is this about prom again?” I whined. I had just gotten Joan back. I didn’t want to fight about prom right now.
“No. Not prom, Jillian,” she shook her head and looked away. “Wow. You really don’t.”
There was one thing I did know—things were the way they should be. I was standing next to Danielle and Josh in the bleachers, watching Megan and Nate running neck-and-neck around the track. Just as she would pull ahead, Nate would bow his head and push forward catching up. I think in the battle of distractions, Megan’s sports bra was winning.
I thought about how I had only been back in high school for a week, and I had made so much progress despite my minor setback with Joan today. I thought about the black and white picture of Luke on Facebook and the boy I had come to know. It would sting too much witnessing Val asking him to the prom knowing that she would most likely attack him on prom night. It shouldn’t bother me, but it really did. I thought about That Jillian and what she would be doing right now instead.
The lines were getting blurred and it was getting harder and harder to differentiate between the things I should change and the things I shouldn’t. No matter which way I looked at it though, I couldn’t shake the feeling.
Luke should not go to the prom with Val.
CHAPTER 8
Luke
Something didn’t seem right. I was alone behind the gym, which was weird because that never happened anymore. She was always with me.
“Well, not really,” I argued. “Just one note.” I felt silly justifying it, but I didn’t want Danielle thinking something was going on when it wasn’t. Val would be asking him to the prom any day now, and I didn’t want Danielle to get her hopes up that Luke and I would end up together. It just wasn’t meant to happen.
“There he is,” Danielle said motioning to the bottom of the bleachers. I watched him as he climbed up the stairs two at a time and stopped next to me.
“Well hello, Luke,” Danielle greeted. I could tell she thought he had come because of me, and she was feeling smug. Clearly, he had wanted to see Nate and Megan’s showdown.
“You know, detention was going to be over in another ten minutes,” I teased. “You didn’t have to go to such extreme measures to spring us.”
He flashed me a mischievous smile, dug into his coat pocket and tossed my sparkly pink flask into my hands.
I was shocked, almost speechless. “What? How?” Luke shrugged.
“I went back after everyone was gone. She left her desk unlocked. Scored a cool lighter,” he replied, casually twirling a black lighter with red flames around his fingers.
I couldn’t believe it. He had pulled the fire alarm and evacuated the school to get my flask back. No one had ever done anything like that for me before. Overcome with emotion, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. However, once I felt him up against me, I realized what a mistake I had made. I was grateful, but I didn’t want him thinking I was throwing myself at him…even though I kind of was. Obviously surprised, Luke seemed to struggle with what to do with his hands for a moment before I felt them settle lightly on my hips. It felt really nice—too nice. I needed to keep it casual so I pulled away quickly.
“Sorry,” I began trying to sound light and breezy, “I didn’t mean to attack you. I just can’t believe you did this.”
“All in a day’s work, Cross,” he replied sarcastically. Something told me he was trying to keep it light and breezy too, but that strange expression was back on his face. “I’m taking off,” he finally added. “Meet me here tomorrow at noon?”
“Absolutely,” I replied watching him slowly walk back down the steps, lighting a cigarette once he reached the bottom. I looked down at Danielle after Luke had left.
“I can’t believe you don’t see it,” she said in a serious tone.
“Is this about prom again?” I whined. I had just gotten Joan back. I didn’t want to fight about prom right now.
“No. Not prom, Jillian,” she shook her head and looked away. “Wow. You really don’t.”
There was one thing I did know—things were the way they should be. I was standing next to Danielle and Josh in the bleachers, watching Megan and Nate running neck-and-neck around the track. Just as she would pull ahead, Nate would bow his head and push forward catching up. I think in the battle of distractions, Megan’s sports bra was winning.
I thought about how I had only been back in high school for a week, and I had made so much progress despite my minor setback with Joan today. I thought about the black and white picture of Luke on Facebook and the boy I had come to know. It would sting too much witnessing Val asking him to the prom knowing that she would most likely attack him on prom night. It shouldn’t bother me, but it really did. I thought about That Jillian and what she would be doing right now instead.
The lines were getting blurred and it was getting harder and harder to differentiate between the things I should change and the things I shouldn’t. No matter which way I looked at it though, I couldn’t shake the feeling.
Luke should not go to the prom with Val.
CHAPTER 8
Luke
Something didn’t seem right. I was alone behind the gym, which was weird because that never happened anymore. She was always with me.
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