The bell rang signaling the end of lunch prepping Calum and Ashton to let out groans of annoyance.
"Alright guys, I'm out." Calum gave them a wave before exiting the cafeteria
"Well," Ashton began collecting his trash,"Time for Statistics. Luke,what class do you have?"
"English." Luke said,standing up to throw away his lunch tray
"With Miss Winchester?" Sami asked immediately
"Erm,yes?" Luke answered,looking at her a little weirdly
"You have Indie in your class."
Luke released a breath. Indie was in his next class. He had been trying to figure out when he was going to be able to talk to her, when the simple fact that they had the next class together slipped his mind. He could find out why she didn't come to lunch.
You mean you can find out whether or not you had anything to do with it, his mind corrected
"Yeah," Luke nodded a confirmation,"I have English with her."
"Well when you see her." Sami stood up,"Tell her she is so dead for ditching me today at lunch."
Something told Luke that Indie was already aware of her predicament with Sami. He didn't see her being oblivious to her best friend being upset at her.
"I'm sure she already knows." he admitted aloud to her
"I know." Sami began walking away
She then stopped and turned around,"Tell her anyway."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One thing that Indie had forgot is that the walk to her next class was farther when coming from the library. Which meant she shouldn't have spent 2 of that 5 minute break between classes talking to Mrs. Castillo. Now she had to rush down the hall and make sure not to bump into anyone.
To her happiness, she had beat the tardy bell by two seconds. She smiled to herself, maintaining her composure, even though she wanted to do a small jig.
"Okay class." Ms. Winchester said walking behind Indie,"Everyone take their seats."
Indie bit her bottom lip, giving herself a small pep talk before walking down the aisle.She wasn't one of the first students to class.Another thing she really wished she had remembered.She took a deep breath and turned sideways (thanks to her thunder thighs, she had to walk like that to keep from bumping into someone or causing their stuff to fall off their desks) scooting herself down the aisle.
She plopped in her seat, relieved that nothing catastrophic had happened.She pulled her stuff out of her backpack, placing her textbook under desk and her binder on top.
"Class,we're doing a lecture today." Ms. Winchester announced
The class gave a collected groan at the announcement. English lectures were the worst.
"I promise it won't be that long." Ms.Winchester walked over to the light switch,"Everyone get out paper and a writing utensil."
Indie reached in her backpack for her pencil case.Sitting back up, she saw a small piece of paper folded on her desk. The teacher turned on the powerpoint and began the lecture. Students began listening and taking notes but Indie kept her eyes on the note on her desk.
This had never happened to her before.
This meant it could have only been one person. Indie turned to look at Luke. His eyes were on the teacher, but Indie could tell he knew she was watching him. She kept her eyes on for a few more seconds before turning her attention back to the note on her desk.
She placed her pencil down and picked up the paper.She made sure the teacher wasn't looking before carefully opening up.
'You weren't at lunch.'-Luke
Indie's eyes went to him once again. He was now copying down the notes from the powerpoint presentation.
The dark haired girl debated with herself about replying.After all that she had been through with Lyla earlier, it'd be such an idiotic move.Nothing would good would come from this.Something would happen causing her to regret it.
More thoughts like this continued to swarm in the depths of Indie's mind. Yet it couldn't Indie wasn't strong enough to not write a response back.
'This is true'.-Indie
Her eyes darted to Ms. Winchester and she kept her eyes trained on the woman as she slowly placed the paper back on Luke's desk.
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth when she thought about how behind she already was on the notes. She'd just have to copy the parts she missed from Ashton. With her pencil in hand, Indie began scribbling frantically before the slide changed.
She had just placed her pencil down when the note landed on her desk. Luke's eyes were on his own paper when she turned to look at him, but she noticed that he had a smile on his face.
He has a really beautiful smile.Indie couldn't help but think to herself
She unfolded the note on her desk.
'Will I ever get to find out why?'-Luke
Indie bit the inside of her cheek. For a second, she pondered what it'd be like if she could actually to Luke like a friend. Someone that wouldn't judge her and like her for who she was.
Not as much as he would like someone prettier shot the voice in her head
Indie bit her bottom lip as she scribbled a final response.
'No and we should stop. We need to paying attention'.-Indie
She placed the folded up paper on Luke's desk and then kept her eyes. Luke must have got the message because he didn't reply back. She wondered if he felt as hurt when he read it as she did when she wrote it.
The bell rang and both Luke and Indie shoved their stuff in their backpacks. Indie slung her backpack over one shoulder and picked her book off her desk when she saw another note land on her desk. She looked up to see Luke walking towards the exit. Without giving it a second thought, she picked up the note and unfolded it.
Well just so you know, lunch isn't nearly as fun when you aren't there.-Luke
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indie walked down the hall to Sami's classroom. She could see students the classroom. Any minute now, Sami would be one of those students exiting. There was no doubt in her mind that the other girl was still pressed about lunch. And after all that happened today, she didn't feel like dealing with Sami's wrath.
Indie felt someone tap her shoulder. She stopped and turned to see none other than Lyla surrounded by two of her friends, Sophia being one of them.
She forced herself not to gulp and met eyes with the brunette.
"Wha–what do you want, Lyla?" she asked, her voice not hiding how nervous she was
"It seems to me someone has a hard time taking a hint."
Indie frowned in confusion.
"I don't know—"
Indie was cut off when a piece of paper was thrust in her face. Her eyes widened when she noticed it was the note she and Luke had passed in class. She could have swore she threw that note in the trash.
"Where–where did you get?"
"Doesn't matter." Lyla retorted,"What matters is that you didn't seem to understand what I meant the first time. So allow me to be subtle."
Lyla took a few steps closer to where they were face to face, their eyes locked with one another.
"Luke is too good for you. So do the both of you a favor and stay away."
Indie opened her mouth to say more when another voice broke sliced through.
"Is there a problem here?!"
Indie and Lyla turned to see Sami standing there, her fists clenched. Indie immediately felt a little better, knowing she had someone on her side.
"What's the big deal,Sami?" Lyla's eyes darted back to Sami,"Indie and I were just talking."
"You're dumber than you look if you think I believe that." Sami growled
"What'd you just call me?" Lyla fully turned around to face her,a glare plastered on her face
"Oh, so you're not just dumb, you're deaf too."
"You bi–"
"Lyla,let's just go." Sophia told her, placing a hand on her arm,"She's not worth it."
"You should listen to your friend before you have to spend the rest of the day at a doctor getting that nose fixed from where I bust it in."
Lyla growled but allowed herself to be pulled away by Sophia and her other friend. Sami watched her intently before turning back to look at Indie.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly
Indie's head felt like a tornado was spinning inside of it. She had so many thoughts going on her mind. She blinked and looked to see Sami looking at her concerned. She swallowed the lump that had formed and nodded.
"Are you sure?" Sami's disbelief was evident
"Yeah, I'm fine." Indie lied
Sami stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and linking their arms together.
"What even did she want?" Sami asked, as they walked down the hall
Indie replayed Lyla's words in her head.
So do the both of you a favor and stay away.
"It doesn't matter. She was just being her usual self." Indie mumbled in response
"It matters to me." Sami told her
Before Indie could say anything else, the two girls were met by Ashton.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to get out of here."
His smile faded when he saw the faraway look in Indie's eyes.
"Indie,what's wrong?"
"Nothing, now let's get out of this god forsaken place."
And with that, Indie walked out of the building leaving Sami and Ashton standing there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That afternoon, Luke lay on his bed strumming his guitar. He was trying to think of new chords but all he could think about was the coffee creamed colored girl who kept managing to confuse him.
It was possible he was thinking too much into this, assuming that she had an issue with him. He couldn't think of a thing he had done anything to offend her. But she was always brushing him off. And he honestly couldn't pinpoint why.
He was starting to wonder if she was aware that she was playing with his head like this. Perhaps she liked messing with guys' minds. Maybe the thought of Luke wrecking his brain to understand what game she was playing amused her.
"You're obviously thinking hard about something," Luke looked up to see his mom standing in his doorway, a basket of clothes in her hand,"And considering you have a guitar in your hand, it's not school. So what's on your mind?"
"It's nothing." Luke dismissed it
His mother raised an eyebrow and walked further into his room. She placed the laundry basket full of his clean clothes on his dresser and took a seat on his bed.
"Am I going to have to ask you again or are you going to go ahead and just tell me?"
Luke placed his guitar right next to him and sat up, folding his legs. His mother looked at him expectantly.
"Have you ever met someone who you know absolutely nothing about and even though they treat you like they don't care, you can't help but be deeply interested in them?"
She looked at him for a couple of moments completely silent. Luke wondered if she was thinking of an answer or if she was completely baffled by what he was saying.
"Okay," she finally spoke,"Tell me what happened. I want the whole story."
Luke played with his lip ring and then proceeded to tell his mother everything that had been troubling him about Indie. He talked about meeting her in the hallway, to talking to her in English, to being confused when she abruptly told him to stop talking to her in English today.
"And I feel like she has something against me, but I don't even know what that could be. And I know it's weird but like I can't stop myself from wanting to talk to her." Luke finished
His mom nodded, taking in all that he said. "Well from what you've told me, she certainly doesn't not like you."
"Yeah?" Luke fiddled his fingers,"Because she acts like she doesn't want to be around me."
"Sometimes we have a hard time communicating what we truly want." his mom explained
"She's just so hard to figure out." Luke sighed, laying back on his bed
"Sometimes the greatest adventure is finding out the mind of another." his mom replied to him
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indie pushed the food on her plate around with her fork. She couldn't get herself to eat. Heck, she couldn't get herself to do anything. She just wanted to surround herself in darkness.
"Daddy, today at school, we did finger painting." her little sister's voice rang out
"That's great, sweetheart."
"Yeah, I painted a rainbow!"
Indie kept her eyes on her food, barely paying attention to her father and sister's conversation. She almost missed her father say something to her.
"Wha–what was that?" she asked, clearing her throat
"I was asking you about school." her father said, furrowing his eyebrows,"How was your day?"
Indie opened her mouth to speak when he began speaking again, not giving her chance.
"You know, you'll be a senior soon enough. You need to stop becoming more involved more. Stuff like that looks really good on college applications."
She should have predicted he'd do this. He wasn't one to ever be interested in Indie's life. No, he cared about other things. Never the things that were important.
Indie stabbed her fork into her potatoes. "I'm actually volunteering at the library."
Her father placed his glass down on the table, his eyes on her. Indie placed the fork in her mouth, chewing her potatoes slowly. She hadn't really meant to blurt that out.
"Volunteering?" he repeated
"Yeah," Indie placed her fork down,"I've been helping Mrs. Castillo during lunch. I mean I haven't been staying after school because of Cammy, but I've been helping. It's not much, but it's still something she can put on a letter of recommendation."
Her father processed what she said in silence, before giving her a small smile.
"Well, I'm glad to know you take what I say seriously."
Indie wanted to throw her plate at him. Even when she tried to impress him, he still didn't act like he was proud of her.
Wait.
The library.
That was it.
Indie moved past the irritation her father had caused her at her new idea. If Lyla wanted Indie to stay away from Luke, then she'd try her best to do so. And the library was her first step.
~~~~~~~~
A/N:And so that was chapter 6. And omg Mother Liz made an appearance! I love Liz. But anyway, since I'm about to go on break, chapter 7 shouldn't take too long, however I'm about to start writing Shades of Rhiannon (I know you guys are excited, don't deny it XD) so we'll how it goes.
But don't forget to let me know what you think. Your comments are always valuable and wanted. And if you really care about me, how about you vote? I love you all. Stay tuned<3