Detention becomes their paradise or at least that’s how Calum had phrased it the moment he’d received yet another detention notice (the second this week Luke thinks). It’s a Wednesday. The weather is warm against Luke’s skin, hotter than usual due to his black tee that he’d ripped his own holes into – “it’s punk rock!” he told his mum, she didn’t believe him. His bag is slung over his left shoulder with ease as he makes his way to class with Calum talking his ear off on one side, and Cheryl applying mascara while she walks on the other.
Calum is telling Luke that it’s stupid he received detention when he was caught drawing inappropriate doodles onto bathroom stalls with sharpie. “They don’t appreciate my art.” He explains. Luke doesn’t believe him but whatever, he never was one for art anyways.
“How are you doing that?” Calum points to the way Cheryl is carefully putting her makeup on.
She’s keeping her attention fully on where she’s going, but is also carrying a small mirror to look into. Luke feels like if he did that he’d fall flat on his face within a second. “This?” She asks.
“Yeah.”
“Practice my young Cal.” She replies, her lips pursing in that way she does when trying to explain something to Calum.
Calum in turn nods his head in understanding. “Ah yes, practice in the art of makeup.”
“You know nothing.” Cheryl says when he looks up at her.
“No one appreciates me,” he fake cries the moment she turns away. Luke can see the way she smiles when he’s not looking at her.
Luke decides to take the opportunity. “I appreciate you,” he mocks as he goes for a hug.
He’s opening his arms when Calum backs away. He shakes his hand in front of Luke’s face trying his best not to smile as he says: “I’m sorry. Can you just get out of my grill for a second?” He’s making ridiculous expressions though so Luke can’t help but crack a smile.
“Did you really say grill?”
“I did.” Calum responds proudly. “And I’ll say it a million times if I have to!” He exclaims to Luke and Cheryl, arms raised in the air for emphasis.
Cheryl rolls her eyes, “You two are idiots.”
“Oi but Lukey and Aries yesterday.” He interjects. Suddenly Luke’s a little less interesting in the conversation while Cheryl is paying all the more attention to what Calum has to say. “Gett’in it! Well, sorta.”
“What do you mean?” Cheryl asks clearly confused by what Calum is saying, then again who knows what he’s saying half the time.
Calum goes on to explain to Cheryl the ‘Aries and Luke show’ as he so fondly refers to them as. Luke keeps to himself trying not to listen in on what they’re saying despite them being no more than two feet out of earshot. He keeps his head down when he feels a blush at what Calum is saying (though it’s not all accurate, luckily for him Calum wasn’t there for all the serenading).
Luke ignores Calum’s subtle remarks asking if he’d kissed Aries yet, if he’d made the move and if Ashton even knew yet. When Luke doesn’t answer Calum shrugs before pulling Luke into a hug telling him: “I’ll miss you while you’re gone,” and then leaving for his first class. Cheryl keeps pace with Luke for a while longer before she too heads off to class leaving Luke to himself.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧
Wednesday lags, mainly because he’d stolen the hours of the night with Aries, playing guitar and idly holding hands beneath lunar stars. Luke learned that it was Aries who would hold his hand when she felt comfortable to, he didn’t mind, he just loved the way her fingers felt connected with his. So that’s how it was on Wednesday: slow, Luke trying his best to stay awake when he feels his breathing slowing to a steady pace, and trying his best not to smile stupidly to himself when Aries texts him in the middle of class.
She tells him to meet her for lunch and he has to try his best not to blush in the middle of class. Luckily he’s sitting nearest to the back of the room, no one really notices him anyways.
He scribbles words onto the desk in graphite pencil, each word looping in slow pace. He’s proud of himself at what he writes, the lyrics to yet another song that Aries had sparked in him. He tries his best to pretend he’s paying attention when his teacher looks back suspiciously at him from the front of the class.
Luke only smiles – but it’s not because of class.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧
“Meeting Aries then?” Cheryl comments. They decided to walk together since Cheryl had to meet for cheer practice or whatever it was she did. All he knew is that she was wearing a uniform of some sort.
Luke nods, “Yeah texted me in class.”
“Ooo bad boy Luke strikes again.” She chuckles. “So do you like her honestly then? I know Cal bugs you about it all the time but–“
Luke laughs nervously. “Yeah I do, like a lot I guess.”
“You guess? Luke I’m not gonna beat you up.” She smiles, and okay Cheryl is probably someone Luke should talk to more than he does. Why doesn’t he again?
They round the corner that separates the lunch hall from the rest of the rooms, Cheryl pauses a moment as Luke stands there with his hands in his pockets and a grin plastered there across his lips. He could skip out on the lunch it wouldn’t be the first time he’s done something of the sort, but then there’s all the time he’s spent with Aries. Cheryl is right here with him looking hopeful, and he knows he likes Aries and he figures that’s enough reason to stop being so afraid.
“See you later baby Hemmo.” Cheryl mocks him but with a lopsided smile. He remembers the first time she called him that, it was the day of the football game when she tried to get him to drink – he did, but he also had an amazing night so he assumes it’s a positive nickname.
She turns on her heel, red dress twirling around the edges of her legs. He decides himself he should go now, Aries should be meeting him soon. He pulls his bag closer in towards his body once more before heading in to the crowded room.
Luke feels it. The undeniable spark that ignites the moment he sets foot in the room that caused him countless problems before. Eventually sending him to the office as a regular, as well as acquainting him with Carver, and more often than not – Carver’s fists. The feeling twists and curves and flips around where his gut should be, but it’s replaced by a totally new feeling; dread.
Dread because he can’t see Aries’ golden brown hair from where he stands, because there are too many people all at once, because he feels their stares at him. He thinks it’s all in his head, okay, he knows it’s all in his head but he still can’t shake it. His palms are suddenly sweaty and this really shouldn’t be as difficult as it is.
He decides to choose a seat furthest away, yet nearest to one of two emergency exits. He figures if worse comes to worse (he hopes it doesn’t) at least he’ll have a way out of it. The table is pleasantly empty save for a few discarded napkins that linger across the top. Luke sits down leaning his head against the cool plastic covering, he tries his best to block out the various noises that make him grimace. He hates school.
School (as it just so turns out) hates him as well. Fate maybe, he thinks. The universe possibly. But the moment he saw her his entire heart dropped. Aries is there, she’s there but it’s not just her. He can feel the way his teeth clench together, the feeling of hatred and disappointment and hurt all coursing through him in one immediate hit.
Luke’s never believed much in fate. He always figured the things that were connected in the universe were all a series of events that happened to cross coincidentally. This wasn’t fate, or coincidence, or even a matter of change in events. Instead this was Aries talking with the one person he’s tried the hardest to avoid since day one.
Seeing Michael Clifford with her was a completely different story.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧
super short and i’m sorry about that, but this is the beginning of the conflict and i wanted to establish it right off – so mikey is back then, and aries is with him..
(but also can we talk about the cake gif on the side like???)
also dedicated to the dearest @bestbrittany (: