RISKY BUSINESS

Chapter 11

I snapped back into reality when Morgan snickered and reached her arm out to show me what was on her phone. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to its brightness, but then I read the text she received from Luke and snickered, too.

Tell Brooklyn I'm upset that you stole her from me :(

"He acts like you didn't see him at school today." And it was true. They were the type of couple that almost could never even last a minute apart. Sometimes it got annoying, but deep down I resented that Morgan, my best friend, had found someone that was obsessed with her in the best ways possible. And sometimes, I wished that I'd find someone who'd like me just as well. But I only thought that every blue moon. I wasn't searching for a love interest at the moment, anyway.

"Right!" Morgan cackled before drawing her phone away from me and replying to his text. It was then that my own phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to reveal a text from someone I least expected.

Calum Hood.

It's disgustingly cute, Luke and Morgan's relationship.

It was clear that he was with Luke, but what wasn't clear was why he was texting me. I wasn't aware that our friendship had gotten so strong that he could just text me when he felt like it. And, it was good to hear that I wasn't the only one to think of Luke and Morgan's relationship as cute in the weirdest ways possible— but I didn't want to talk to Calum. Not when I was trying to avoid him..

Even at school I'd been stuck to my avoid the options mission. Whenever I'd see Michael, Ashton and Calum, I'd either act like I hadn't seen them or ran in a different direction to where they were. I even tried to avoid Luke in media class without making it obvious. From the start of the class, to the end, I had my earphones in on full blast, and only ever paused to listen to Mrs. Peterson. I don't think Luke minded though— or rather, he didn't notice. He was too focused on working on his media project to pay any mind to me, or anyone else for that matter.

My thoughts were cut to an end when I felt Morgan go limp beside me, and her breaths came out long and loud, almost sounding like she was snoring. I admired how easily she could fall asleep, but at this moment I was hoping to talk to her more about my mission, as I had promised. I guessed I could tell her all about it tomorrow, instead.

I tried to get comfortable and fall asleep like Morgan, but unlike her, I wasn't a heavy sleeper. In fact, I was the lightest sleeper I knew. The only cure to my sleepless nights was my art, and music. But tonight, I had no sketchbook or earphones with me to help with that. So instead, I locked myself up in Morgan's joint bathroom, and decided to record a diary entry for my media project.

I set my phone up against the wall of the sink, pleased that the lighting in here was decent. When I pressed record I stood back and and waved. "Hey. So, I've locked myself up in my best friend Morgan's bathroom, in the hopes that I won't wake her up as I record this. I couldn't wait another day, because something's been on my mind," I start to explain.

Once again, Luke's words play through my head loud and clear, and I run a hand through my hair before sending my camera a look of annoyance. "I don't know how to word this without seeming so annoyed . . . But I hate Luke Hemmings. Ever since he spoke his words of wisdom about how I should pay more attention to the people who've suddenly appeared in my life— I've been paranoid beyond complete. I came up with this stupid, dumb mission to avoid those few people; the ones who've appeared in my life quite often lately, and I can't say it's been working. Well, kinda. Two of them, who I'm not close with; friendship wise, they're easy to avoid. But that boy I've mentioned before? He's always there, always here. Whether he's popping up in person, or constantly crowding my thoughts."