Luke's Pov
I sighed as I neared my school. It was the first day of my senior year and I was not excited. But then again who would be excited to be beaten up by the most popular guys in school? To have their peers spit words like 'faggot' and 'worthless' at them? To have teachers look at them disgustedly just because they like the same sex? Not even a hardcore masochist would. I pulled my hoodie sleeves down a little further as I entered the building.
I anxiously walked to my locker and opened it. I shakily placed my backpack inside as well as take out my green chemistry binder and my black pencil case. I shut the teal painted metal door as quietly as I could and timidly walked to my class, doing my best to ignore the glares and words thrown at me. I was almost to my class when a tiny boy with tan skin and black hair approached me.
"H-hi. U-um, d-do y-you h-h-have th-this-s cl-class t-t-t-too?" He stuttered quietly, motioning to the classroom I was going towards.
"Yeah." I answered softly.
"D-do y-yo-you mi-mind if-f I-I si-sit with-th you?" He asked.
"No." I said.
"Th-thanks. I-I'm C-Calum-m." He smiled.
"Luke." I replied.
As we entered the classroom, he spoke again. "B-b-by th-the wa-ay, I'm-m no-not mu-mute o-or any-anything, I w-was-s j-just-t b-bo-born-n wi-with a-a sp-speech im-im-impediment. But y-you d-don't seem l-like m-much o-o-of a-a ta-talker-r s-so if-f we-we're g-gonna-a b-be f-fr-friends, y-you'll-l ha-have to get-t u-us-used t-t-to it." Calum said.
I nodded. I didn't mind his stutter. It was just nice to have someone talk to me. We sat in the back of the classroom and he told me that he had just moved from New Zealand over the summer. I just nodded and listened, throwing in hums to assure him that I was indeed still listening.
He instantly shut his mouth when someone sat in front of us. It was a boy with curly caramel hair and big biceps. He was friends with the jocks that bullied me. He had never even spoken to me, he just gave me sympathetic looks whenever his friends beat me up. It was Ashton Irwin. Soon, one of his jock friends and my main bully, Xavier, sat down next to him. I swallowed hard. This was already gonna be hell.
-
By lunch, Calum and I had already discovered that we, luckily, had every class together. It was a bit strange for that to happen but whatever at least I'd have someone. It was now last period which was music. We had a new teacher because our last one, Mrs. Jones, retired. We entered the class and sat in the back, again. This time, Calum didn't talk at all, he just sat. This gave me time to properly look at him.
He was short, probably about 5'5 which was two inches shorter than myself being 5'7, he had very tan skin that was covered by a black and white baseball tee and black jeans that were supposed to be skinny but were quite baggy on Calum's skinny frame. His black hair was fluffy and in a short fringe. He had big brown eyes and full lips and I noticed that he had tattoos on his hands. He didn't seem like the type to have them but who was I to judge.
I didn't notice that the bell had rung until a voice spoke.
"Good afternoon, class. I'm your new music teacher, Mr. Clifford. Now, let me tell you a little about me an then we can go around the class and do the same. We'll give our name, age, and one thing about us." The pale man at the the front of the room spoke. He brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. "I'm Michael Clifford, I'm 28, and I spent six years of my life in America. Next, how about you with the purple hair, then we'll go row by row."
"I'm Felicity Reynolds, I'm 17, and I own three horses." The girl spoke.
I tuned out until it was Calum's turn.
"I-I'm-m Ca-Calum H-Hood, I-I'm 18, a-and I j-just-t mo-mov-ved he-here f-fr-from N-New-w Z-Ze-Zealand." He stuttered.
Mr. Clifford smiled at him and nodded before looking at me. I looked around and saw some kids smirking others mouthing the same words they sneer at me in the halls. I gulped.
"I-I'm Luke Hemmings and I'm 17." I said, trying to avoid telling the class something about me.
"And what's something special about you, Luke?" Mr. Clifford asked.
"Nothing." I stated. I mean what was I gonna tell them? My parents are both dead? I'm an orphan? I live with my cousins who hate me? I cut myself to distract myself from the other pain in my life? Yeah that'd go down real well.
"Nothing? Now that's not true. There's gotta be something." He pushed.
"There isn't." I said.
"C'mon, Luke. It doesn't even have to be special." He sighed.
"Fine. I play guitar." I snapped.
He smiled at me and moved on. I didn't like talking in class. I hated it actually. It made me anxious and like I was about to cry. I didn't like that. I sat silently for the rest of class. As we were packing up and getting ready to leave, Calum spoke.
"C-can y-you p-pu-put y-your nu-number-r i-in m-my-y ph-phone s-so w-we-e c-can t-te-ex-t?" He asked, holding his phone out.
I nodded, quickly typing in my number before giving his phone back. He thanked me just as the bell rang and we both scurried to our lockers. Just as I finished shutting my locker, I heard a very familiar voice.
"It's been too long, Hemmings." Xavier.
"What do you want, Xavier?" I asked shakily, knowing what was coming.
"We haven't gotten to see you all summer. We missed putting pretty bruises on your ugly face." He sneered.
I gulped and let him, Tom, Luis, and Cole punch and kick me while Ashton watched with pity to the side. They beat me until I was barely conscious before leaving me slumped against my locker. I eventually was able to pick myself up and limp home, knowing I would get screamed at for being late. It started raining half of the way there and I just sighed and let myself get soaked. It rained a lot these days, leaving me soaking wet and shivering when I got home.
Once I finally reached my house, I took in a deep, nervous breath and released it as I opened the door and stumbled in.
"Luke's home!" Rachel's nasally voice squawked obnoxiously.
"Lucas Robert Hemmings! Where have you been?!" My Aunt screeched.
"It's just Luke." I said under my breath. "I got caught up at school, Ma'am, I'm sorry." I apologised.
"I've told you a million times to be home by three and you always get home late! You go up to your room and stay there! I don't want to see you for the rest of the night, you're not getting dinner." She scolded.
I sighed and nodded, walking as fast as I could to the stairs.
"Serves you right, faggot." Rachel snickered as I trudged up the stairs.
I sighed again and kept on my way to my room. I set my things down and made sure no one was around before limping into the bathroom. I shut and locked the door before looking at myself in the mirror. I had a split lip, black eye, a large fist shaped bruise on my right cheek, a gash on my jaw and another next to my eye. There was some dried blood by my mouth and nose. I knew the rest of my body was probably bruised up too. I cleaned myself up, hissing some times at a sting from one of the cuts. When I was sure I was cleaned up, I pulled my blade out of my pocket and rolled my sleeves up and pulled my jeans down. Three cuts on each hip, five on each thigh, and six on each arm. Once I was satisfied, I cleaned the blood off and bandaged my cuts up.
I pulled my pants up and my sleeves back down before rushing back to my room. The damp jeans were starting to get uncomfortable so I stripped everything off and pulled on a fresh pair of boxers, some fuzzy blue pyjama pants, and a black long sleeve t-shirt.
I checked my phone and saw I had received a text.
From: Unknown
Hey it's Calum :)
I smiled. He was serious about texting me. Someone actually wanted to be my friend.
To: Cal🐶
Hey :-)
From: Cal🐶
Ew the nose
To: Cal🐶
What's wrong with the nose? :-(
From: Cal🐶
They're creepy! The make them look like pedophiles
To: Cal🐶
Maybe you're a pedophile
From: Cal🐶
Wtf
To: Cal🐶
Well you could be! We just met today and I don't know you that well
Calum and I went back and forth like this for a while, some of his texts actually putting a smile of my face. Suddenly, I heard a noise outside. I looked out my window and saw a moving truck and men carrying boxes into the house across the street. I wondered who was moving in.
...
A/n: Who do you think is moving in across the street from Luke? I love this story so much holy shit. I have great ideas for this and I'm super excited to see what you guys think! Thanks lovelies!:3
-Lannah