wasting time » lh ; mc

twenty six

:: 26 ::

        This was all too familiar: here he sat, with Michael to his left wearing that damn smirk that his lips naturally formed to, and members of the rugby team surrounding them.

He'd met so many people already that it was hard to see so many faces all at once anymore. Craig (who is Luke's personal favorite—he's just too clueless for his own good) stood attentively next to Landon, who stood next to Ashton.

"Alright, boys," Michael called for the group's attention, "this is Luke. He's been helping to get the team back with me." Suddenly, Luke wanted to frown at the realization that he really hadn't been helping. He'd just been a sidekick, someone to follow Michael around like a personal assistant that would get him anything at the snap of a finger. "You already know Ashton, Landon, and Craig," Michael started off with some reintroduction, a silent nod to letting Luke know he could be comfortable.

"So, I'll start off with Backs," the hockey player blabbered on. "Ashton is the Full Back..."

Over the course of half an hour Luke got to know the entire rugby team.

There was Bert McCracken, who played Right Wing. He was short—around only five foot eight—and had naturally sunken in eyes, large and round with depth that Luke could only imagine held infinite stories that he'd one day get to hear. Michael was planning to play his opposite, as Left Wing.

Parker Cannon had a large dent in very center of his chest and seemed to live in a natural state of anger, but when he smiled his face wrinkled and brightened up for the few seconds the strange intrusion of a smile lingered. He was lanky, broad, and played Stand-Off.

The Half Back, a blonde by the name of Elliott Gruenberg, held a childish charm to match his childish looks. His long hair flowed just a few inches past his ears, just shy of his shoulders, and blue eyes shone with youth and kindness. Elliott was the youngest on the team, a tenth grader.

The team's Props were two muscular, filled-out seniors named Dave Stephens and Kevin Skaff that Luke recognizes from his Environmental Science class. While Kevin was taller, Dave was more muscular. They both has similar, rounded faces and upturned lips, to the point where Luke asked if they were related in any distant way, to which he found the answer to be no.

A caramel-skinned boy, Dani Washington, played Hook. The sides of his head were shaved leaving dark brown, tiny dreads to sit on top in a bun. The quietest of the entire team, Dani didn't speak much and stared with such attentive eyes that Luke knew he was always aware of everything. He appeared silently appreciative, a shell hard to crack with just your bare hands.

Two brothers stood as the team's Second Row Forwards: Andrew and Devin Oliver. Andrew was shorter, but was the older sibling. He had long, dirty blonde hair that stopped messily at his shoulders and a slightly crooked, pointed nose sat in between two, drooping brown eyes. He spoke with a chilled out, carefree tone that reflected through his character. Devin, the younger sibling, also had long hair but his stopped at his chin in a sea of bleached platinum with roots of chocolate brown. Bigger and wider than Andrew, it was hard to believe that he was a year younger. The only thing reassuring Luke that he was the younger brother was the cheerful, youthful pitch that his voice held.

Last on the team, a neurotic boy who was impulsive, careless, but overall a neat character: Shaun Walker. His long, lanky frame held wide eyes that stared with unintentional intensity and a pointed nose that seemed to sniff out the sound of bullshit. A wide, floppy Mohawk was on his head in a mess of faded platinum blonde overtaken by vague purples and blues.

"...and this, Luke, is the rugby team," Michael finished, an accomplished smile on his face.

"The team still needs Benches," Bert informed the group. "All of them gave up after they cut rugby."

Michael swore to himself, and if Luke didn't know any better he would have second guessed the look on his best friend's face to have been defeat. But he did know better, and nothing this simple was going to drive Michael Clifford to just give up.

"We'll figure it out. I'll just tell Flan we're looking for them."

"Flan?"

"That's what he calls the principal," Craig chirps, happy to have been able to contribute something useful to the conversation. Landon rolls his eyes from next to his ditzy friend and shakes his head. You can't help but love Craig.

Luke started thinking. He knows Michael probably wouldn't agree to his idea, wouldn't even come close to considering it, but it was worth a try because at least if he suggested it Luke would feel like he had some use in this grand scheme (okay, so, not that grand).

"I could talk to Peter," he voiced quietly.

"Peter? Hockey Peter? As in Penelope's brother?"

Luke nodded.

With a hum, Michael silently contemplated the pros and cons. After a moment, he nodded with a grin. "Brilliant. God, I could kiss you for that."

And Luke would've said do it if it weren't for the audience of rugby players and the shock he held from Michael not completely trashing his idea.

The group stuck around for two more hours, goofing around in between trying to figure out any semblance of a plan for their team. Michael didn't have one, Luke knew that, but he told everyone that he did anyway, just to get them off his back and telling them, "Luke and I've got it covered, don't worry."

When they finally did leave, Luke turned to Michael and said, "Do it."

"What?"

"Earlier, you said you could kiss me," Luke explained. "So, do it."

"Oh," Michael blinked, then broke out into a grin as he grabbed Luke's face and pulled him close, but stopped and said, "Not here." When Luke looked at him quizzically, and with a hint of embarrassment, he rephrased: "Just...people could walk in. You don't want them thinking you're gay, do you?"

"Well...no, I guess not."

"This isn't my first rodeo, baby," Michael joked, inwardly cringing not even a second after. "Sorry. Slipped."

A shy smile on the other boy's face, he laughed, "It's okay."

The pair were walking towards the student parking lot now, having exited the gym's side doors. It was embarrassing for Luke to say that he didn't want to seem gay, but in the moment he had forgotten all about it. And that was embarrassing, too. Kissing Michael? That's pretty fucking gay, dude, are you serious? Not that he was ashamed to be doing it, just—this is a stressful time. If Luke didn't even know what he wanted, he didn't want other people finding out and coming to their own conclusions before he did.

Once they reached Michael's truck, Michael couldn't have been grinning any harder. Luke chuckled, "What?"

"I fucking love my life right now," he said, "if I'm being honest." He reached his hand over to the back of Luke's head and gently brought their foreheads together. "Still want to?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah—yeah, I want to."

+ + +

im so sorry for being gone. like, really sorry. and I have no idea who even reads this anymore but I hope some of you still do being this book makes me very happy. I just had a break for a while because my computer is broken and it gets so tiring writing on a phone all the time. but I love you guys and I'm trying to get back into things.

if you're still reading this, and know of other people who do but gave up on me, pls tell them I'm back I miss u all

this was just to get introductions in so we know who the rugby team used to consist of (and of course my music headass made them all band members) + the song I listened to while writing the last little bit of this cause they're my favorite band