Drunken Murder || Luke Hemmings ✔

II

The next day everything went back to normal. No one talked about Mr. Beck's outburst at the assembly (and the fact that he didn't come to school today, for obvious reasons), or Jasmine's death, or anything involving the murderer. That was, until lunch time, but even then it was barely talked about. There weren't any sobbing fests today, since Jasmine's friends hadn't come to school.

"Hey Luke, do you wanna come with Calum and I to Kevin's party this weekend?" Ashton asked me at lunch. They still actually wanted to go to a party after everything that's happened? And the most important question, why would anyone even be throwing a party, knowing there's a good chance one of their guests could be the next victim of "The Party Murderer?" It didn't even surprise me that Kevin was the one throwing a party. He always had one every weekend, even on the day his mum died. I think the partying was some kind of therapy for him.

"I dunno if I want to with everything that's been going on. I might just stay home, or go to the movies, or something like that. Why isn't Michael going?" I asked. Michael always went out partying with us, but I thought it was strange that Ashton didn't say Michael's name.

"He's staying home with Iza. She's too scared to go to parties after everything that's been happening," Ashton replied. Who wouldn't be?

"I don't blame her," Calum said. "I know I would be too if I were her."

"But still, she never passes up a good party. There has to be more to it than being too scared to go," Ashton said. We all knew what he meant by that.

"I'll have to think about it," I said just as the fifth period bell rang. I probably would end up going to the party, but I just didn't feel like telling them right now.

Ugh, it's time for English, the best class ever. I honestly did consider skipping and going to hang out over by the soccer fields, but I decided against it since if we got any papers Mrs. Izsus wouldn't give them to me. I instantly regretted that when Mrs. Izsus started talking about informational writing or something like that. There was a reason I chose not to to take journalism, so could you please not teach us about it? I pretended to pay attention for the whole period, until the bell finally rang for sixth period. At least I kind of liked gym, and I could just hang out with Michael since we had that class together.

"Hey," I said to Michael as I walked over to where he was sitting on the bleachers. He hadn't changed. Again. I swear he wasn't going to graduate at the end of the school year just because he never changed for gym.

"Hey. Dude, why'd you have to change? We could've just sat here and hung out instead of actually having to do stuff," Michael said.

"Because I don't feel like failing gym." That was true. I didn't want to fail and have to repeat my senior year. That would be pretty embarrassing because who actually fails gym? (Other than Michael)

"But, Luke. It's just gym. You aren't going use anything you learn in here in real life. It's just one class where we do nothing but waste time. Oh wait, I remember why you always change. Because 'I'll never get a scholarship for college if I fail gym.'" I rolled my eyes at Michael.

"It's true. Plus I don't want to fail my senior year just because I didn't want to change for gym," I paused. "Anyways, where were you at lunch?"

"I went to that one diner about a mile away from here with Iza for lunch." Michael did stuff like that all the time. I swear he was going to get in trouble one of these days for going to see her during lunch, even though he sees her everyday.

"And you didn't get in trouble? You know we aren't allowed to leave during lunch."

"I paid off one of the newer security guards. I promised Iza that I would take her out to lunch today for our one year anniversary, and I wasn't going to let some stupid school policy stop me. Besides, it's really close and the diner is her favorite place to eat. It's the most I could manage to pull off without getting in trouble."