Sophia winced as she slowly pulled the band-aid off her forehead and looked at the not-so-nice-looking scabbed injury adorning her face. It wasn't deep though, but she guessed it bled quite a bit. It probably worried Luke a little.
She sighed as she grabbed the ointment in the medicine drawer and placed a dab on her finger. She didn't know what went on with him today. He seemed comfortable enough and then all of a sudden he shied. She wasn't being too forward was she? He didn't seem to mind holding her, then a few minutes later he suddenly tensed and became awkward.
The drive home had been the worst though.
He couldn't even look at her and it unsettled her slightly. The little bit of confidence she attained in finally opening up to someone completely evaporated after that. She had made a fool of herself. But at the same time she could be viewing this situation completely out of context. She needed a third party outlook.
After Sophia finished applying the ointment, she washed her hands and grabbed her phone before laying down on her bed. It took her a while to scroll through her contacts before landing on the desired number.
Sophia bit her lip and hesitated. The last time she opened up to someone it backfired. Was she really going to try again and on the same day too? She shook her head and pressed the call button. She promised herself to be more open to people, so that was what she was going to do.
The phone rang for a few times before a timid 'hello' answered.
"Hey, Mindy," Sophia greeted.
"S-Sophia? Oh my gosh, is everything okay? Both you and Luke were absent. Did something hap-"
"I'm fine, Mindy," Sophia interrupted her then paused. "But I don't think Luke is."
"What? What's wrong? Is he hurt?" Mindy replied in a panicked voice.
"No, nothing physical. He was just behaving ... weird, and I don't know why."
"Could-could you explain?"
So Sophia retold the tale of her weekend (leaving out the fact that she was scared of fire though and instead said she had come down ill) and explained how Luke had behaved through it all. Once she was finished Mindy stayed silent for a moment.
"Do ... do you really not know what's going on?" she asked a little shocked.
"No, I don't know," Sophia replied curtly.
If she did know, then why would she have bothered calling her?
"Oh, well, uh ..." Mindy stuttered, sounding a little nervous. "It's kinda obvious that Luke likes you."
"Likes me? Well, I know that or else I wouldn't go to Sunday lunches with him-"
"No, not that like," Mindy interrupted. "He likes you ... as in that way. The whole school can see it. That's why Rachel was jealous of you and why he acted awkward when he was so close to you."
Mindy's words shocked Sophia into silence. Luke liked her ... like that? A sudden feeling of heat filled her body making her feel uncomfortable.
"H-Hello? Sophia, are you still there?"
Sophia shook herself out of her state of shock. "Yeah, I'm still here. Um ... what should I do?"
For the first time Sophia felt a rush of panic at human interaction. She has had to deal with people in numerous situations plenty of times before, but they were never about a boy liking her. She didn't even know what to do. All the books she read were action, so that didn't help her either.
"Well, how do you feel about him?"
Sophia paused a moment to think. "I ... I don't know."
"Do you like-like him?"
Sophia bit her lip. "I've never really thought about him that way ..."
Mainly because she refused to let her feelings get a hold of her and get attached. She was seriously regretting allowing herself to get attached now. She's never had a problem with interacting with anyone on an emotionless level for almost eighteen years and now when she opens up, in less than five hours, questions are bombarding her left, right and centre that she doesn't even know what to think.
"Okay, well maybe think about it for a few days, or until you know how you feel about him, and then talk to him about it," Mindy suggested.
"Okay," Sophia responded with a sigh and she realised how vulnerable she sounded. She hated it, but Mindy didn't seem to judge her. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache forming. "Thanks, Mindy."
"It's a pleasure. I'll see you tomorrow at school."
"Yeah," Sophia replied and hung up before tossing her phone on the bed as she stared up at the ceiling.
Did she like Luke like that?
To be honest, she didn't even know what the feeling was supposed to be, but she knew that she felt differently for him compared to anyone else she knew. Was that the clue? Her heart would speed up at the thought of him and tingles would run along her skin whenever his arm accidentally brushed against hers. Did that mean she liked him or was her body just attracted to him?
Sophia groaned and rolled over onto her stomach. Why does being a girl always involve some kind of love drama? Just look at her mom's life. Although, compared to hers, Sophia guessed she should be grateful on some level.
Sophia's head jolted upwards when she heard a noise come from downstairs. She frowned as she slowly sat up into a seated position when she heard talking. Her father was home? Why was he home? He was never usually here on a Monday and who was he talking to?
Sophia climbed to her feet and took a moment to arrange her hair to cover her injury before walking out her room and down the short hall to the staircase. The talking was more apparent now. She recognised her father's voice and she heard laughter. She frowned.
Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned into the living-room and she felt her whole body freeze. Her father was still dressed in his army uniform and his guest smiled at her when they realised her presence.
"Oh, you must be Sophia!"
Sophia stared. One inch heel, knee-length pencil skirt, army blazer, dark auburn hair tied in a perfect bun.
Sophia's eyes moved to her father as he came to stand next to his guest and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Sophia, I'd like you to meet Susan ... my girlfriend."
And just like that, Sophia felt her whole world shatter around her.