The Bet (Muke Clemmings)

Prologue

"Oi, mate! Who're you on the phone with already?"

Michael turned around to see his best friend Calum approaching him, kicking a rock as if it were a mini soccer ball. Michael was stood at the back of the school building, the place they meet up every morning before class, phone attached to his ear.

He made a weird face at his friend before hanging up the phone and saying with a slightly defensive tone, "I was just checking my voice mail!" He paused before explaining, "Three messages from Dana and two from Tom."

Calum dropped the cigarette that was dangling from his fingers and stepped on it. He blew a cloud of smoke after mumbling, "Those names don't even ring a bell."

Michael swung the door open, lazily walking in, adjusting the bag that was slung over his shoulder. "Really? You don't even remember Dana?" He asked, as if she were the most obvious person to remember, "Blue hair, brown eyes, glasses..." Michael trailed off but Calum just shook his head.

Michael continued, "She was kinda chubby, big-"

"Give it up, Clifford!" Calum interrupted before Michael could say anything further, and that made Michael smirk and chuckle lightly. "You're hopeless," Calum added, "You date too many people."

"I do not!" Michael sounded even more defensive now, as he opened his locker, shoving books and papers in, and taking a few things out, "I can't help that people fall all over me."

"Yeah, and God only knows why. They never even stick around for longer than two weeks!"

Michael rolled his eyes, slamming his locker shut. It was quiet at first as the pair began to walk again, but then Michael said, "I bet you I could make anyone stick around with me for a month."

"Anyone I choose?" Calum asked and Michael nodded, "Care to place money on that bet?"

Michael gave it a quick thought and then said, "A hundred?" 

Calum nodded.

"You're on, Hood."

The two were about to shake on it when Michael added, "But nobody creepy. Like no parents or old men. Got it?"

Calum rolled his eyes with a small laugh; he wasn't even thinking of anybody creepy until Michael mentioned it. He immediately nodded in agreement, though, "Gotcha."

Calum wasn't exactly sure who he was going to make Michael's target, though. Michael had already been with most of the girls, and plenty of the guys in school.

As Calum looked around as they walked through the halls, he thought it was going to be hard to come up with someone. But just as they walked into their classroom for English, Calum noticed the shy blonde boy that sat in the front row, and immediately knew, that was him.

"I've got it," Calum spoke up when the pair sat at their desks in the back of the room, "I know exactly who."

"That was fast," Michael commented, "Are you sure?"

"Very!" Calum took a pause before he announced, "Luke Hemmings."