art geek ⌽ hemmings

⌱ 0.3

Hallie

When she woke up the next morning, she felt like it was her birthday, like she used to feel on her birthday - back when ice cream cake at your party was socially acceptable. She had double geography today, first two periods. Which meant maintaining an actual conversation with Luke (if she didn't throw up first).

Hallie dug out her Bon Jovi tee from the ever-growing pile that lay at the bottom of her wardrobe and put it on along with a pair of leggings and converse, messily braiding her hair and rushing to the bathroom to brush her teeth before being on the verge of missing the bus, as per usual.

"Hal! Here's $20 for lunch or whatever, have fun my petunia." Aunt Jocelyn hugged her (she may as well have fractured Hallie's spine there and then, it would've been less painful).

"Okay, cool, bye aunt Jocelyn." Hallie laughed, kicking the front door shut before shoving the money in her bag and running down the front steps.

Violet was already at the bus stop. Hallie sat next to her and practically exhaled Winter, clutching onto her sides. She wished she had a jumper.

Hallie had to tell her about the tall blonde boy from geography -she mentally corrected herself- Luke. "What's up?" Violet smiled and readjusted her septum piercing, again. They climbed on the bus and sat in their usual seats, somewhat near the back.

Hallie practically sunk. "You're wearing your Bon Jovi top, someone must've been real happy this morning." Violet laughed, Hallie could feel her face heating like a fraction of silverware in a microwave.

"Bon Jovi is a completely underrated and acceptable band thank you very much." Hallie countered.

Violet poked her pierced tongue out, "Whatever."

Almost everyone stood up in unison as if it were a subconscious thing to be the first person to trudge off the bus and avoid any conversation whatsoever with the driver but, nonetheless, it was inevitable. Hallie hated it. If she could drive to school, she fucking would.

Hallie had somewhat made a routine of walking past Violet and Michael's morning ritual of almost hand-raping each other and practically swallowing each other's faces at the school gates. It was vile, not to mention it made Hallie feel even more lonely than she already was, which wasn't potentially a problem. She had Jon Bon Jovi after all - and Luke, she had Luke ... not entirely.

"Hi." Ashton greeted as Hallie walked to her locker, maintaining unhealthy eye contact with the linoleum flooring. She attempted to pretend not to hear him, but she smiled at him anyway, continuing to her locker before collecting necessary books.

Ashton was coming her way. Fuck, Hallie thought and mentally slammed her locker door into her head, multiple times.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." Ashton looked at her, then down at the floor. Hallie held tightened her hands around her books as if they were going to save her. He's not that bad, she tried to convince herself. At least he has cute glasses? Her consciousness plead.

"Is there something I can help you with, Ashton?" Hallie faked her best smile (she made a mental note to become a cheerleader in future), Ashton laughed.

"Oh, um ... I was wondering if you'd wanna go to the school basketball game tonight? We could ... I don't know, only if ... you want." Hallie bit down on the innards of her cheek, hard. She wasn't even aware the school had a basketball team.

"I don't do basketball." She pulled her geography textbook from her locker.

"Oh, cool, neither do I, not much." Ashton inched closer to Hallie, pushing his glasses further at the bridge of his nose - it astounded her how one's scent could smell of cinnamon yet revolting cologne. She'd give anything at this moment to be swept from this hideous conversation. 

"I'd hate to break this evidently heartfelt conversation but I need to talk to Hallie ... about menstrual cramps, and boobs, and perhaps discharge but we haven't made it there yet." Violet almost appeared out of thin air, pulling Hallie away from Ashton before she could say anything (it wasn't as if she wanted to).

"Thanks for saving me sooner, Vi." Hallie laughed, retracting her arm from Violet's grip as they neared home room.

"At your service." Violet graciously gestured to herself, "Though, can we not talk about how awkwardly in love with you Ashton is, I beg of you."

"Good, because spending two hours with him after school last night was more than enough." Hallie groaned, everyone entering the classroom.

"Oh yeah, how was that?" Violet cringed.

"Vi ..."

Luke

First period was geography. He had to talk to Hallie, if she was there, that was. He hadn't seen her in the halls since school began.

Hallie.

Luke bit the inside of his cheek. At least know what you're gonna say to her, he thought.

Jesus.

Calum nudged his side, "Is drunk monkey style not a thing? Tell Michael it is!" Luke frowned at Calum.

"I don't ... know?" He shrugged.

The bell for first period rang and sent a knot of utter anxiety in Luke's stomach. He didn't even know if she knew his name.

Hallie

He looked better than yesterday, if that was even humanely possible. He wore a plain black tee with skinny jeans, his eyes looked as if he had stayed up till 4am busily typing up something overdue - completely adorable, to Hallie.

Luke scanned the classroom and somehow had come to the conclusion to make his way over to the seat beside Hallie.

She hid her face with her textbook.

"Hey." Luke said when he finally sat down, Hallie frantically searching for any arrangement of words to construct a sentence any moment within the century.

She swallowed. "You must be Hallie." Fuck.

"Wait - I'm Hallie ... you're you and - ugh. Just, forget I exist." She buried her face in her hands, wanting the ground to swallow her completely whole.

"Well, you must be Luke then." He smiled, a single dimple in his right cheek being as deep as an ocean trench. Hallie couldn't fathom how adorable one person could be, nor why she'd never talked to him before let alone been aware of his name.

He was an award-winning novel, Hallie being the equivalent of nothing more than a single sentence.

+
hiiiiiiii.
this chapter is so fucking late omg.
but it's here nonetheless and i hope you enjoyed it.
gee whizz lallie is cute.
does anyone even ship hashllie lol no.
anyway i do wish this chapter is to your heart's content.
be sure to vote and comment.
i have obviously by mcfly stuck in my head.
okay byeeee.
auf wiedersehen.