MR. PERFECTLY FINE ; LUKE HUGHES

13

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍒 ꒱  stupid, emotional, obsessive little me
OLIVIA RODRIGO^

LORELEI

MEMORIES OF last night came in the form
of a thumping migraine, the feeling of my veins beating fast and hard against my fingertips.

He pushed me back, he knew what I was doing. I wanted to kiss him and instead, I was rejected. Now I guess we were even.

The feelings of rejection and embarrassment were eating me alive as I sat in my economics class. Did I write my professor a lengthy email about how sick I had been? Yes, I did. Did I do it just to avoid Luke? Yes, I did.

Luckily for me, the economics hall and the english hall were on totally opposite sides of Michigans campus, which led to the high chance of me not running into my professor or worse, Luke.

I popped an Advil in my mouth as I stepped out of the lecture hall, the feeling spreading across my body was nauseating.

"Hangover, huh?" I felt a sudden presence beside me, making me turn my head up, lips parting as I recognized the face.

Why had he been everywhere? Mark was smiling at me, wearing a backwards hat and a thick sweater.

I chuckled lowly with a shrug. "Yeah, I guess. Where'd you come from?"

"Practice." Mark gestured towards Yost, making my body shoot up with chills. "Luke had us doing Suicide Drills. I don't know what's up with him but he was pissy today."

I pursued my lips as we continued to walk together, my attempt of blocking the interaction of Luke and I out of my mind was failing, miserably.

"Yeah, I don't know." I played dumb, rubbing my eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" Mark stuffed his hands into his pocket, peering at my side profile. I nodded with silence. "Are you busy later tonight?"

I blinked, maybe once or twice, I was thrown off. "I, uh, no. Sorry, why are you asking?"

"I thought maybe we can grab dinner or something." Mark chuckled with a slight shrug. "I thought i'd be nice for us to talk without getting interrupted."

If he had gestured to Luke again, I thought I was going to lose it.

"Oh." My voice was scratchy. "Mark. If you're just looking to hook up or..."

"No, no." Mark interrupted before I could finish. "It's not about that, I swear. There's something different about you, Lorelei, I can't quite figure it out."

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, darting my eyes up to his. "So, what, you think I'm intriguing?"

"Very." Mark nodded quickly. "So, is that a yes?"

I weighed my options, not that I really had any. I had a gut feeling that this was a trap or a scheme set up by the captain of the hockey team.

There was no way in hell that Mark would go for me. We were complete opposites. He had girls chasing him, from every school, state, who knows, maybe even countries. And I, well, I was me.

I felt a sting of guilt. If I had said yes, it would be out of pure spite against Luke. But in this moment, I don't think Luke gave a shit. After all, he rejected me.

But maybe that was his plan. To make me fall head over heels and crush my heart between his fingers, taking my dignity with him, too.

I had to remember that Luke and Mark were friends, a strong bromance between the two. The saying we're all familiar with, you are who you hang out with. However, I had absolutely nothing left to lose.

"Okay, sure. I'll go out with you." I agreed.

"Yeah?" Mask shot me a grin with squinted eyes, seeming surprised I had taken up his offer. "Okay, great. I'll pick you up, yeah?"

I hummed with a nod. "Great. It's a date."

I was brimming with confidence at this moment, to think of Luke's face if he found out about Mark and I, which I assumed he would.

University of Michigan keeps rumors in business, especially the men's hockey team. The things you'd hear about them got less and less questionable.

Mark nodded slowly, a smirk pulling on his heart shaped lips. "It's a date. I'm not doing this to get back at Luke, or anything."

I pursued my lips with a shrug. "I didn't think you were. I am I supposed to be shocked that someone like you could be into me?"

"No, never." Mark blushed, shaking his head with a chuckle. "I think you're, uh, way out of my league."

I cocked a brow with disbelief. "Really? I mean, have you seen yourself? You're a hockey player that is a secret business freak and I'm an english major that can't do anything athletic if my life depended on it."

With that statement, I then realized that athletes had been my type. Opposites attract, right?

"I didn't realize I was into nerds." Mark eyed me, his gaze dragging up and down my body in a playful manner.

I shoved at his shoulder lightly with a scoff. "I didn't realize I was into big-ego maniacs."

"You're feeding into my ego, Lorelei." Mark waved me off. "I didn't mean it in a bad way, I love my girls smart."

I narrowed my dark eyes at him, peeling my stare away from his gorgeous face to focus on something else. He was no wear in the same boat as Luke for me, but I'd be blind if I said he wasn't nice to look at.

And just from this short conversation, I knew why girls were throwing themselves at him. He was a charmer, the small grin on his lips, puppy dog eyes never leaving your own, his entire demeanor, it was all lively.

"Right." I finally spoke. "Well, I should get on with my day. I'll see you tonight?"

Mark squeezed my hand that had been down at my side, leaning into press a soft kiss to the side of my cheek, making me blink. "Seven o'clock on the dot."

I brought my fingers up to my skin as I watched him walk away, leaving me in the middle of campus like a deer in headlights.

What was in the water at the rink? I seriously needed to know.

i'd pee