The Music Freaks One-shots!

better girlfriend than her

Ship: Lander
Period: A reimagining of Episode 5
POV: Luke
Style: From angst to fluff
Requested by: myself!

~

I, Luke Peterson, epitomize a bisexual conundrum. Perhaps it's because I'm infatuated with two individuals and uncertain about whom to approach. Or maybe it's due to my overall disarray. Likely, it's a combination of both.

"Uh, Lukey?" Milly interjects, pulling me back to reality. I glance at the clock. It's 2:33 p.m., indicating I'm in English class, sans Zander.

Zander was my knight in shining armor for school work, but accusations of cheating arose because our test answers were identical. Consequently, he's no longer in my English class and is serving detention.

"Huh? Oh, right, sorry," I mumbled to her before refocusing on my essay. Darn it. Being a romantic is tough, especially when trying to write a Romeo and Juliet poem without having a girlfriend or boyfriend.

Milly tapped her pencil on the desk and said, "You can write about me if you must. I might just write about you. Platonically, of course." I laughed.

"Are you going to write yours about Elliott?" I teased, winking and wiggling my eyebrows. She blushed and looked away.

"No! He's the one grading the essays, you dolt!" She attempted to frown, but the huge smile on her face was undeniable. "Perhaps I ought to..."

"The perfect way to confess, Milly!" I declared joyfully. She gave a small nod and then gestured towards the photo pinned to my bag. It was a strip of pictures of me and Zander, the kind you get from fairground photo booths.

We hot it on his and Hailey's parents' anniversary, despite his reservations about their marriage. To lighten the mood, I took him to the fair. We had a blast riding the Ferris wheel, playfully throwing cotton candy at each other, and trying on silly accents—until some actual Scots overheard us. The highlight was taking black and white photos in a photo booth. I've kept those pictures in my backpack and phone case as a cherished memory.

Milly smirked and said, "You know who else grades the essays? Zander."

"No way!" I replied, turning back to my paper. Did I know who I was going to write about? Certainly. Was I going to tell you? Absolutely not.

I scribbled on my paper for the remainder of the class and then dropped it into the essay box. Heading to my locker, I gathered everything I needed to take home. Zander approached me with a nervous smile. I was just about to speak to him when Stacy stumbled and her books scattered everywhere.

"Stacy! Here, I'll help you," I said as I picked up some of the books and stood up. She blushed and let out a nervous giggle.

"Thank you, Luke!" she replied softly, prompting Zander to roll his eyes. I gave him a nudge in the ribs. "Could you help me return these?"

"Of course!" Together, we walked to the room from which the books had come and placed them down.

"Luke, I need to tell you something. I really like you," she said, blushing before leaning in to kiss me.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps and caught a glimpse of purple hair as the person dashed away. "Zander!" I shouted, pulling away. I made a move towards the door, but Stacy caught my wrist and asked,

"Is that a yes?"

I paused, looking into her eyes filled with pain, and realized I didn't love her. She was my second choice, a stand-in, someone I'd consider only if Zander turned me down. Gently freeing my hand, I took off after him.

I hurried past the club, through the corridors, out the door, and into the park. There was Zander, crying. He was kicking the leaves scattered on the ground, tears streaming down his face. The sight made me want to cry alongside him, to hold him in my arms as I did during his panic attacks.

"Zander," I exhaled. He turned sharply towards me. My eyes welled up at the sight of him: red eyes, a wet face, a sorrowful frown. His brows furrowed upon recognizing me. Then, he turned his back to me again, prompting a sigh from me.

"Just go already!" He sobbed.

"I don't like that girl, Zander! I like you!"

He halted, his eyes widening as he turned to face me once more.

"What..?

"I- Zander. I'm in love with you." His eyes seemed to widen more," I have been. For a really long time. That song Hailey sang for me, I wrote that about you!"

"I thought you only saw me as a childhood friend."

"You've always been more than that! I've wanted to tell you for a really long time, but recently, it seems everything I do makes you uncomfortable. I could never seem to find the right time or the right way to tell you, and I'm probably making you uncomfortable right now."

"You're wrong! You've never made me feel uncomfortable! When you would get close, I was scared cause I didn't want you to notice how I really felt about you! So i pushed you away. I just wanted to protect our friendship. I... didn't want to lose you."

I smiled, "Zander, you'll never lose me." I approached him.

"I-i-im not like Stacy y'know. I'm uptight, and I'll probably call you names a lot."

I laughed. "I know."

"I'm stubborn, a little selfish at times, and I get jealous easil-" I interrupted him by clasping his face in my hands and drawing him into a kiss. Moments later, I stepped back.

"You're also charming, witty, and extremely handsome. And on top of that, you would be a much better girlfriend than her." He blushed.

"Luke! Don't say such embarrassing things.."

"I love you, Zander."

"I-I love you too."

I embraced him in a hug.

~