Safety Net {l.r.h}

29) Live in the moment and feel things

ELLIE ABNER

I sat in psych class, early as usual, tapping my pen on the desk in front of me. Luke was late, unlike usual, and I was growing impatient. There was only a minute until class starts and he was nowhere to be seen. Michael stood next to my desk to keep me company, talking about our sudden plans of attending the home football game tonight.

"Have you even started your project?" I ask curiously.

"My partner has," he states, shrugging his shoulders.

My jaw drops and I lightly slap his arm, "that's so cruel of you. Maybe you should help them instead of going out tonight."

"Don't act like you don't want to go to the game. It's the perfect time to stare at Luke without him noticing." He says nonchalantly.

My face grew red at his sly comment as he smirked, "I don't stare."

"Yes, you do." I heard from behind me. Mikey's eyes flicked to a figure over my shoulder, and I turned to see Luke standing there in his hoodie, sweats, high tops, and a beanie with two cups of coffee in his hands.

"See, you're doing it right now!" Mikey laughed, pointing at me. I glared at him, not being able to hide the smile on my face. Luke placed one of the coffees down in front of me and sipped on his own.

"Michael, if you don't leave my space I'll punch you," I threatened half-jokingly. Luke laughed, taking a seat next to me as Michael raised his hands in defense and stalked back to his seat. I took a sip of my coffee and hummed. "You added pumpkin spice." I note, looking at the boy.

"Since you like fall so much, yes I did." The small act of kindness made my heart swell in my chest, and I caught myself leaning forward, pressing my lips to his cheek.

"Thank you."

Class went on as usual, we had a lecture over the different parts of the brain and more psychological disorders. I had written down as many notes as possible, knowing this could potentially help us for our project and any tutoring sessions in the future. Luke stared intensely at the board below, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"It might help if you wrote this down," I whisper, knocking my knee into his. Luke blinks, wiping his bottom lip with the back of his hand.

"Huh?" That's when I realized, he wasn't paying any attention to the lesson at all.

"Were you sleeping with your eyes open?" I interrogate, squinting at him.

He shrugs, "I like to call it daydreaming."

"You were drooling!" I whisper-yell, trying not to laugh. It wasn't unknown for Luke not to get any sleep; he was prone to stay up late in the night and still get up early in the morning.

"Maybe I was daydreaming about you," he flirts, his tongue toying with the black ring around his lip. I felt myself staring at his soft lips for longer than I intended, and my eyes flicked up to meet his. He had a smirk plastered on his face and I couldn't help but grow annoyed. He was trying to tease me.

We hadn't talked about our make out session we shared Saturday night, and days have passed since then. The only thing that reminded me it ever happened was the growing tension between us. I'd begin to feel nervous when we were caught in the same room alone, or my mind would wander off into thoughts filled with him.

The professor dismissed our class, and I gathered my belongings. Michael dragged Luke out the double doors as I got stuck following everyone else out of the room. Fortunately for me, Luke was waiting outside the building, watching the people flowing out of the doors as Michael talked his ear off. My bag was strapped over one shoulder, and I stayed by Luke's side as we walked across the quad to our next destination.