The Book Thief 》Hemmings A.U

4.00

     I was simply not a surfer. Surfing  was typically more for Californians, and though I was born there, I had adapted to North Carolina tendencies- much to my displeasure. I liked the ocean, but the seashells sliced at the soles of my feet and the tides were always too high and I wasn't the best swimmer. So...bobbing on a wooden or plastic board and voluntarily getting engulfed by giant waves wasn't exactly how I enjoyed spending my spare time. But Luke wasn't having it. And I wasn't having him. He was getting on my last nerve.

     "You need to get out, Kendall. You're either always in your room, Lucy's room, or our kitchen."

      "And school." I say offhandedly, trying to talk up the number of places I frequented. School was a weak one, and Luke did have a point, but it was a stupid point. 

       "And the library and to go food shopping with your mom probably, whatever. That's boring."

       "I go to the beach all of the time!"

       "Yeah?" He says, raising his brows as if he's actually curious. Everyone around here went to the beach all of the time, it was a given.

        "Yeah." I say, nodding and crossing my arms over my chest.

        "Then you shouldn't mind us going right now. We have to stop by my house first, get some wet suits." He's searching around my room, and I don't know what for. Then he goes into my closet and flips through the articles of clothing it holds before nodding to himself. "Yeah, we need to get some wet suits."

           "Lucas, I'm not going surfing." Lucy told me he always hated when people used that name, because his name was just Luke, and 'Lucas' was used mostly by teachers who wanted to embarrass him. And since it bothered him, I was going to call by it because he was bothering me and I just wanted to be left alone. He and my mother really needed to understand that I wasn't the outdoor type, I just liked staying inside and doing the things I did best. Some people thought it was boring, but I couldn't have cared less. Lucy understood, she mostly felt the same way, and that's why we were best friends. Okay, maybe that wasn't why, but she still understood me.

           "Oh yes you are, Kendall." Luke pushes the chair out of reach so I won't sit down again, and then he's behind me and pushing my shoulders forward, forcing me to head towards the door. "Look, I promise we'll stay up all night working afterwards. Just take an hour or two."

           "You're not staying here overnight." I say, lips curing as I shake my head at him. I just wanted to get him out of my house and get something to eat, was that asking for too much?

         "Oh my God, I just want to go surfing." He says in exasperation, rubbing at his eyes.

         "And I just want you to give me the USB with my story on it, but that isn't happening either, is it?"

       "Shut up."

       "Make me." I huff, staring into his blue eyes, my own green ones thinned into slits. Maybe if I bothered him enough, he would leave. Luke doesn't say anything for a few seconds, and then he rolls his tongue around on the inside of his bottom lip, and he starts laughing.

        "It's really funny when you try to be intimidating. Now come on." And before I can protest for the gazillionth time, his fingers are wrapping around my forearm and he's dragging me outside of my room and turning off the light and forcing me to march through the hallway and straight into my mother, clad in only a towel.

       "I fell asleep in the shower," She whispers, clearly horrified as she runs her hands through her wet hair and shakes her head, flabbergasted.