As I drove to school Monday morning, I thought about everything I wanted to accomplish.
I knew I wanted to talk to Brooke and not only convince her to give me another chance, but to sort through this mess. I want to know straight from her if the shit Avery was saying was true or not. I'm sure it isn't but I want to be one hundred percent sure. I know I said I didn't care all that much and I doubt it was true but it was eating away at me all weekend and I just have to make sure.
When I arrived on campus, I parked my car and got out to scan the grounds. Unfortunately I didn't see Brooke or the guys, but I did see Avery. I wasn't sure if I should go over and try to get a straight answer out of her one last time or wait until chemistry at the end of the day.
I left the student parking lot to travel more on campus. The two of us locked eyes for a second and she quickly looked away. Seems like something a guilty liar would do.
I headed inside the school and went to my locker, where I met Mike along the way.
"Hey, where'd you disappear off to?" He asked. "I saw you at the party then not for the rest of the night."
"I left early. I wasn't really feeling it." I shrugged.
"Woah, Luke Hemmings not feeling a party? The world must be ending." He chuckled.
"It's just it didn't interest me like they usually do." I put in my combination and opened my locker. "It didn't feel right."
"Is something wrong? I'm asking 'cause this isn't like you." He said.
"This is a good thing, Mike. The old me was the cause of my girlfriend breaking up with me and it took that to realize how I've been an idiot wasting my life." I closed my locker after I got my things out.
"Brooke? I thought you said you didn't care. That she was 'just another girl' and that you could easily get another one."
"I did but she's the only one I want." I sighed. "I really cared about her. She's the only one I've truly had feelings for and I lost her."
"You're in love with her?" He asked.
"I don't know." I shrugged. "I've never felt this way before, it's all new to me. Right now all I plan on doing is getting her back."
He nods and looks down the hall. Now that I have him here, I can ask if he knows anything about her since Avery didn't say which friend specifically.
"Hey, do you-" I was cut off by the sound of the bell ringing, signaling for us to head to first period.
"C'mon, class is starting soon." He said and started down the hall.
I sighed and followed him to history.
-
I hadn't seen Michael the rest of that day. After first period he disappeared. I expected to see him at lunch but he didn't show. Now that's definitely unlike him, he lives to eat, so what's going on? And then he wasn't in math so I was really confused at that point.
I started to ask him about Brooke but the bell disrupted me. I was going to bring it back up but I couldn't since I haven't seen him. I was going to bring it up to Calum or Ash but I didn't want them disappearing on me either before I got any answers.
I went to my locker to grab my notebook for my last class, chemistry. I wanted to talk to Ashton about what Avery said but she's there and I don't want to bring it up just for him to leave me hanging like Mike did. And I don't know how much I should say. Did Mike leave because I opened too much of myself to him? I know we're all friends and we can talk about anything but I'm not one to talk about how I feel to others. I don't want to be seen as weak and pathetic. Is that why he's avoiding me? Because I made him uncomfortable?
I shook the thought out of my head. I've got to stop speculating and overthinking and take things one step at a time. I'll just take my chances and ask Ash after class. Or if I see Brooke first, since she wouldn't look my way first period, I'll sort things out with her and then everyone will be happy.
I walked into Mr. Hilton's class and took my seat at my lab table. It wasn't long before Ashton came in and took his seat.
He turned around to face me. "Hey." He said.
"Hey." I replied.
"I meant to ask earlier why you left so early Friday night."
"I wasn't having as good a time as I thought I would." I shrugged.
He nodded. "Well hey, at least you're over her so you can move on with your life."
"Yeah, right...have you seen Michael at all today? I talked to him this morning and after first period he just vanished."
"Nope." He shook his head. "He wasn't at lunch?"
"No." Now that I think about it, I didn't see Ashton either. We don't always sit together but I usually see all the guys from where I am. I was with Cal today and didn't see the other two.
I was about to ask him where he was when Avery took her seat next to me. I noticed a little mark on her cheek and she must've seen me peering at it because she whipped around and glared at me.
"What?" She snapped.
"I didn't say anything now did I?" I asked.
"I can see you staring at me so if you have something to say, say it."
I sure as hell had something to say, but I was gonna save that for later. "What happened to your face? Did someone finally knock some sense into you?"
"Of course you'd ask a fucked up question like that." She said, rolling her eyes.
"C'mon man, what kind of thing is that to say?" Ash asked and turned to Avery. "Excuse him, he's a little cranky."
She giggled and I rolled my eyes. If only he knew how big of a bitch she really is. Although she wasn't acting like it now. She was having a civil conversation with him. She didn't snap or snarl or roll her eyes once, she was actually smiling and doing those little girly quirks to turn him on or something.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say she liked him. She surely wasn't this kind and flirtatious with me.
I laughed and the two of them looked at me.
"What's so funny?" Ashton asked.
I shook my head. "Nothing. I was just thinking about something."
Soon Mr. Hilton called the class to order and we got started. As Avery requests every class, I kept my hands off the equipment as she works and only put my name on it and turned it in when she finished. Class seemed to go by fast because before I knew it, the bell rang and we were walking out.
I was looking for Ash but he was one of the first out the door and I lost him. I waited to the side for the halls to clear out and I went looking for him. The last glimpse I caught of him before he left was him walking the opposite way of the student parking lot.
With the halls being pretty clear now, I started walking the way he went. I didn't feel like going all the way to the end and was close to turning around when I heard some voices. I could easily tell it was a guy and girl but I couldn't make out exactly who they were or what they were saying.
Being curious, I crept closer to the corner and peered around it, although I wished I hadn't. The sight before me was enough to break my heart. It was Ashton with Brooke, holding her like I used to and worse of all, kissing her. I turned away and headed back down the hall. As much as I hate to admit it, Avery was right and I feel like an idiot. Here I was thinking she cared about me but she's already hooked up with one of my best friends.
I should've known it would've been Ashton. He's always liked every girl I've been with. I don't know if he's gone after each one but he definitely went after her.
That must've been why Mike has been avoiding me all day. I told him how I felt about her and he knew Ash was with her so instead of telling me, he dipped.
I got out to my car and shut myself inside, not pulling off yet.
This is gonna be much harder than I thought. I thought the hard part was gonna be convincing her to give me another chance, but now I have to convince her to leave him and then give me a chance.
"Damn it!" I yelled and slammed my fists on my steering wheel in frustration. What am I gonna do?
I looked back at the entrance and noticed Avery walking out towards a bike. I don't know what she was still doing here but she knew about them and rubbed it in my face.
One way or another, she's gonna help me get Brooke back, whether she likes it or not.