before the pain | luke (JATP)

XLI

"What?" Bobby asked, looking into Daliah's eyes. He didn't know his heart could beat this fast and that she could be so shy. "Bobby Wilson, will you go out with me?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE SAID NO?" Mila almost yelled as Reggie, Alex, and her talked by locker 272. "I mean no, he looked the love of his life dead in the eye and said no"

"I can't believe it? He has been crazy about the girl for years, why in the-" "language" Alex interrupted "would he say no to her?" Alex and Reggie looked at each other before looking back at their best friend, who raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe that's the thing, I mean I was in love with Caroline Black and I barely knew her, what if-"

"Bobby is scared to get to know her.... that she is not picture perfect" Mila interrupted Reggie, who agreed with her theory.

"Bloody hell that's stupid, I mean..why Daliah even do that? She walked in there?" They nodded. "Quite a shock actually, I think I almost died," Alex said jokingly.

"Have you talked to your parents yet?" Reggie changed the subject, Mila was about to answer as the bell rang. "I will... I promise" She hugged him before heading to history with Alex.

They placed themself down as the history lesson began, Mila answered correctly on every question the teacher asked and she was very pleased with herself until a note landed on her desk, she looked to her side, seeing a worried Alex.

His black eye still made people stare and whispers about the gay kid had begun running around the school, you could tell it bothered him, however after thinking about what people used to say about Mila, he forgot about it quickly.

Are you sure you even wanna talk to your parents?

it was true that anger had been running through Mila ever since her father decided he no longer wanted his useless daughter living in his house. However because she knew her mother had left him as well, he was alone... alone in the big house.

Are you sure you even wanna talk to your parents?

They are my parents Alex..

she handed it back, she knew Alex would somehow understand, even though he ran away and even though he never wanna look at his parents again, deep down he loved them, even though they could not accept him for who he was, blood is blood.

Are you sure you even wanna talk to your parents?

They are my parents Alex..

you don't choose family Mila

Mila looked at him with a raised eyebrow as she bit her lip, she smiled and wrote down a sentence, she not at the moment though would mean so much to her, would speak the truth for the rest of her life.

Are you sure you even wanna talk to your parents?

They are my parents Alex..

you don't choose family Mila

then it's good my family is you

As the bell rang, the two walked together to lunch, sitting down at their usual table, Mila's eyes wandered around the cafeteria. She noticed how people had changed, how friends from freshman year now sat with other groups, how the most popular couple was now split, one sitting with her girlfriend, the other sitting with his teammates, and Mila who normally sat with her best friend now sat with four boys... four boys who were her family.

"I heard you said no to Daliah," Mila said as Bobby took a bite of his sandwich. "And I'm not hungry anymore" He announced as he put down his sandwich looking at his dear friend.

"Can I at least ask why?" Luke shook his head as he took a bite of his green apple. "We have tried to get the answer out since it happened, he keeps giving the same answer" Mila lifted an eyebrow as she looked back into Bobby's eyes.

"Which is?" Bobby sighed. "Can man just eat his sandwich in peace?" He asked. "I thought you weren't hungry," Alex asked with a small smile, however that smile was not flashed back as Bobby angrily took a bite of his sandwich.

Mila licked her lip before taking a bite of her pasta salad. "Okay subject change then, Reggie anything new going on in your life?" Reggie put up his hands. "Hey, why am I now being targeted?" Mila took a deep breath.

"Come on guys, we barely, I don't want another lunch where we all stay quiet ignoring the problem," Mila said before taking a sip of her juice, however, she regretted that quickly, as Bobby's words made her spit out all her apple juice out on the table.

"Why is Oliver Young on his way over here?"

All the boys laughed, as Oliver walked quicker to the table and looked worried at Mila. "Are you okay?" Mila coughed as her face turned bright red, she took a napkin, hiding her mouth. "Yea she is fine, she is just a bit in shock, I told her a dirty joke you know," Bobby said as he smirked looking at Mila and then back at Oliver.

Oliver awkwardly laughed as he nodded. "I see... uhm well Mila I was thinking if you're free tomorrow, would you maybe go to the new house with me?"

Luke tried his best to hide the anger that bubbled up inside him as he began smiling brightly. "A house? Are you moving in together?" He teased as he looked at Mila, who's eyes could kill, she then looked to Oliver as she faked a smile.

"I would love to, after school?" She asked, Alex and Reggie looking at each other with the same: 'What in the world look'.

"Perfect, see you there Garcia" And with that, he walked back to his table, with boys who smirked and clapped his shoulder like the boy had asked the most popular girl out, but in reality, the boy had asked Mila Garcia to go see their father's new house.

"He calls you by your last name, well ain't that adorable," Luke said with a smirk as he leaned his head against his palm. Mila tilted her head with a 'are you serious' look.

"When did you begin going out with Oliver Young?" Reggie asked as he looked at his best friend, Mila took a deep breath. "We're not going out and Jesus, we're just friends, chill. Now I need to use the restroom before social studies, so see you tomorrow" And with that Mila stood up and walked out of the cafeteria.

"Just friends huh? sounds familiar Lukieboo?" Bobby asked as he leaned back in his chair taking the last bite of his sandwich. Luke felt his heart drop to the floor as his eyes followed the curly-haired girl walking away.