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The Luke Conundrum

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Alcohol was flowing freely, and the girls were wearing outfits that left little to the imagination. The boys were stumbling around, clearly drunk out of their minds. It was like a scene out of a wild college party, except most of us were still underage.

As I made my way through the chaos, I couldn't help but feel like I was in the middle of a jungle, with everyone acting like wild animals fighting over scraps of food. And in the centre of it all was Luke, the unofficial king of the beach party scene.

the girls take turns feeding Luke alcohol like he is some sort of human shotglass. It was like a bizarre ritual, with each girl trying to outdo the last in their quest to get him drunk.

Luke, always the charmer, gracefully accepted the drinks, even when they came in the form of sloppy, alcohol-filled kisses.

"Yeah, that's Luke. Always the life of the party." " a girl said, causing me to turn around and see her standing there with a red cup in her hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the girl said as she stuck her hand out for a handshake. I took her hand and shook it firmly, trying my best to look cool and collected. "I'm Lucy. Well Lucille, but everyone calls me Lucy."

Lucy had a friendly smile on her face, I gave her a grin in return, trying to match her level of friendliness.

"Is he with all the girls like that?" I gestured towards Luke and another girl locking lips, hoping for some clarification from my new acquaintance, Lucy.

"Yeah, pretty much," Lucy replied with a sigh, her expression clearly showing disapproval.

"I'm Leah,"

"Are you new here?" she inquired, her curiosity palpable.

"Yup, and that," I gestured dramatically towards Luke, "that is my step-brother," I added with a tinge of sarcasm that could rival Chandler Bing from Friends.

Lucy's eyebrows shot up in surprise, clearly not expecting such a bombshell.

"No way!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.

"Yup, the man whore is my stepbrother," I replied, rolling my eyes and letting out a dramatic sigh.

Lucy burst out laughing, unable to contain her amusement at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. "Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting," she said, wiping away tears of laughter.

"Why?" I asked confused.

I gazed upon her, it suddenly dawned on me - she was a nerd just like me! It was like a light bulb went off in my head as I took in her appearance. I mean, come on, look at her! Her outfit was straight out of a convent, with her clothes practically screaming "nun" from the rooftops. And don't even get me started on her hair - pulled back into a tight ponytail like she was ready to hit the books at a moment's notice.

But it was her glasses that sealed the deal. Those thick frames made her eyes pop out like a cartoon character, giving her that classic nerdy look that I knew all too well. It was like she was wearing her own personal set of magnifying glasses, ready to analyze every tiny detail of the world around her.

"Sorry to say it, and please don't take any offence, but did you see yourself?" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with condescension. "I mean, Luke Anderson, hanging out with you." She continued to scrutinize my nerdy attire as if each piece of clothing was a crime against fashion.

I let out a dramatic sigh, I couldn't help but acknowledge the truth. Luke had definitely drawn the short end of the stick when my mother decided to marry his father – and I, unfortunately, came as part of the package deal.

It was like a twisted sitcom plot, where the quirky step-sibling gets thrown into the mix and wreaks havoc on the unsuspecting family. Except, in this case, I was the quirky step-sibling, and Luke was the unfortunate victim of my presence.

Urgh!

"Look at him, he is like a Prince and all the girls want part of his fortune," she exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration. "Well, not money, but his fortune of looks." She couldn't tear her gaze away from Luke, her hands folded underneath her chin in a dreamy trance.

OMG!!!

It hit me like a cartoon character getting hit by a fish tale. It was as if a gigantic tuna had slapped me across the face with its slimy fins.

She is in love with him.

SHE IS IN LOVE WITH HIM!!!

Luke effortlessly lifted the girls onto his shoulders and playfully ran with them along the sandy shore, Lucy and I couldn't help but be mesmerized by his carefree spirit. It was like watching a real-life superhero in action, except instead of fighting crime, he was just goofing around with two girls on the beach.

I found myself blushing as I watched Luke's playful antics, not because I was in love with him (at least, I didn't think so), but because his charm and charisma were impossible to resist. Lucy, on the other hand, seemed to be in a trance, her eyes fixed on Luke as if he were the most captivating person she had ever seen. Well, he was!

"Earth to Lucy!" I said waving my hands in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry, did you say something?" she finally managed to mumble through the drool, snapping out of her daze.

"This is perfect," she exclaimed, her eyes once again locking onto Luke with unwavering intensity.

"What is perfect?" I dared to ask

Lucy smirked, her eyes gleamed with mischief as she leaned in closer. "Well, you and I will be best friends," she declared, her voice dripping with hope. "And by that, I will have access to Luke."

Luke. Of course, it all came back to Luke. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her blatant attempt to use me as a pawn in her quest to get closer to him. I thought I had found a friend, but it seemed I was just a means to an end.

Fantastic! Pffft.

I listened to her scheme to orchestrate a chance encounter with Luke, I couldn't help but feel annoyed. I was playing the role of the hapless sidekick who gets caught up in all the drama.

What made her think that I was the key to unlocking the mysteries of his heart?

She was going on and on about how I should invite her to my house, or should I say Anderson's mansion.

She was determined to weasel her way into a pool party at my place, dreaming of the moment she would 'accidentally' slip and fall into Luke's arms. I mean, come on, did she really think Luke would even give me the time of day?

Luke was in a whole different league than me. He made it pretty clear that I should stay in my lane, and I couldn't blame him. The girls look like princesses, while I was stuck playing the role of Cinderella, cleaning and cooking my way through life.

"So you and I...." she tried to say when we were suddenly interrupted by a loud, obnoxious voice.

"Can you nerds move, we want to play volleyball," a girl with a slice of cheesecake for a head said to me and Lucy.

I couldn't believe it. Out of all the empty spaces on the beach, these volleyball enthusiasts had to choose the exact spot where we were sitting.

Seriously? I muttered under my breath.

But instead of causing a scene, I decided to be polite. "Cool!" I said with a forced smile, grabbing Lucy by the arm and guiding her towards a nearby rock.