Friends with Benefits || Luke Hemmings

Chapter Forty: When did you and Calum become Buddy Buddy?

It has been two weeks since I've gone to school. I had now decided that my grades were going to fail. I heard that Michael was going back to school as well but I couldn't be sure. I got up and put on a shirt the read '' shut up and kiss me" and then black leggings. I the put on mint green converse. I went in my jewelry box and found a blur rubber bracelet that Beth had given me once. I put it on and never wanted to tak it off.

I went into the kitchen and my dad gave me a sympathetic look. I could tell he didn't think I was ready to go to school, but I had to at least attempt to keep my grades above a failing.

"Dad I'll be fine, it's been two weeks I can handle it." I said.

"Okay, just done think you're obligated into going" he said.

"Dad." I said, letting him know to stop worrying. I made toast and finished all with in fifteen minutes. I grabbed me bag and started to walk to school.

"Tessa!" someone called for me. I turned around to see Michael. I let him catch up with me.

"Hey." I said.

"I haven't seen you since..." he trailed off.

"Yeah a lot of people haven't, just wasn't ready yet I guess." I said, and he nodded. We walked to school and people kept looking us. We went our separate ways and I made my way to my locker. I started to unpack my books. I had gotten all my homework while I was gone so I wasn't worried about that, but I had missed some tests. Luke walked up to me.

"Hey I haven't seen you in a while." he said.

"I know, just trying to cope." I said.

"Well I should at least get a hello kiss." he had a smirk on his face.

"That is what my shirt says." I said. He put his arms around my waste and kissed me.

''You are going to be late if you don't get to class." I said to him, poking him in the chest.

"I would love to be late of it meant being able to kiss you." he said

"Yeah well to bad, get to class." I said. He sighed and then walked away. I finished getting my books and walked to homeroom, I stopped at the doorway when I saw Beth's empty seat. I took a deep breathe and kept walking. I wasn't used to her not being here because she was always there. The bell rang and I walked to gym. I got changed, with only one or two strange glances. I went out into the gym and Luke came up to me.

"Hey, I heard we are playing baseball today." he said. I nodded as I looked around the room. "What are you looking at?" he asked me

"Nothing I just haven't seen Calum in a while so I just wanted to see if he was here." I said.

"Oh well he's over here." he walked over to Calum, and I followed him. Calum turned to face me.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a couple of weeks so I figured that we could catch up and get some Nando's after school." I said to him.

"Yeah, sure I'll meet you at your locker at the end of the day." he said.

"Okay." I said. I turned back towards Luke. He gave me a strange look.

"When did you and Calum become buddy buddy?" he asked.

"And when did you become so jealous?" I giggled.

"I am definitely not jealous..." he said nervously.

"You are! In my defense I knew Calum before you and I still choose you." I laughed

"True but any girl would choose me over Calum." he said. Calum turned around with a disgusted look on his face. "No offense bud." he said, with a smile in his face, and Calum gave him a dirty look. We had gotten through gym pretty quick and the second period went by fast.
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Next thing I knew it was lunch. I went and sat over with Luke and Calum.

"So I heard about Beth and I'm really sorry Tessa." Calum said.

"Thanks." I continued to eat my lunch. It was just a chicken patty on a bun, and BBQ sauce on the side. I wondered where Michael, was the whole lunch. I knew he was in school, but just didn't know where in the school he was.

"Um I'll be right back." I told both of them. I got up from the table and walked out of the lunch room. I walked towards the band room knowing he would most likely be there. I opened the door and sure enough he was sitting on the stage playing he guitar.

"How did I know you would be in here?" I giggled.

"Well for one, you are probably one of the few left that really know me. I'm guessing it was pretty easy to find me." he said, in a sad tone.

"You alright?" I sat next to him.

"Honestly, no. I just can't seem to get her out of my head." he said.

"I know how you feel." I said.

"I thought today would be easy, but I just kept looking at her empty seat in class and I couldn't help but think of her.'' he said. I looked down at my bracelet, that she had given me.

"She gave me this..." I said, showing Michael the bracelet. "I never knew why though, it wasn't my birthday, or Christmas, it was just a normal Tuesday afternoon. I know now why she gave it to me." I said.

"Why?" he asked.

"To have something to remember her by. She never took pictures, she just never knew what would happen if she woke up one day and didn't wake up the next. She just wanted someone to remember her, and at the time I was really her only friend...until she found you." I said. He smiled and reached into the back pocket of his jeans. He pulled half of a purple guitar pick.

"She broke this while I tried to teach her how to play, she kept the other half." he laughed. ''Maybe this is why she wanted me to keep this, so I could remember her?" he said

"Beth was always the kind of person that liked to take risks, so I guess she never knew what would happen to her. Honestly we don't need these things to remember her, but it's the thought that counts." I said.

"Yeah." he said. I placed me head on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Beth, we'll remember you." Ever since Beth had died I always talk to her. Even if I didn't know if she could here me. I would talk to her just like she was in the room with me because I wanted to forget that she wasn't really there.