F I V E
Little black dress just walked into the room
Makin' heads turn. Can't stop looking at you
PEYTON COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT the song that Luke wrote. She tried to forget it, but simply couldn't.
Monday morning arrived and it hit her like a train. She turned off 6:30 AM alarm and closed her eyes again, rotating her body for it to look at the ceiling.
Senior year of high school started today. Last year of messing up, yelling at the band in the hallways, bumping into Ella on the corners studying and using the ladies' room to escape from Luke's insisting conversations.
Not even her house was safe.
As she got out of the shower all dressed up with her hair on a messy ponytail, she stared at her backpack filled with books and tried to put her art supplies too.
Peyton walked out of her room to the hallway, when the voices in the house came clearer.
"Luke! Stop bugging me!" Yelled Ella from downstairs. "You are impossible!"
"Leave it alone, Cinderella!" She heard her best friend's response.
She sighed tiredly, walking downstairs towards the kitchen just to find Luke and Ella fighting over a waffle.
"Could you leave your fight for other time which isn't a Monday morning?" Asked Peyton in a whisper, holding a yawn as she place two waffles on the toaster. "How do you guys have so much energy?"
"It's because you are used to recharging your power with caffeine like a freaking workaholic," replied Luke, grabbing half of Ella's waffle and eating it, making the girl even angrier. "You should stop drinking so much coffee, you'd have a weak immune system."
Peyton's been hearing that since middle school and that hasn't stopped her from drinking coffee. She loved it, black and simple coffee.
"Good morning, early birds," said Peyton's mom as she kissed her daughter's forehead. "How are you preparing yourself for your first day of senior year?" She asked them she messed with Luke's hair and the kissed Ella's cheek. "Any prank already planned Luke?"
"Actually, glad that you are asking. The guys and I have several ideas and I named them as 80s films' characters."
"Not surprised by that," commented Peyton as she gave one of the waffles to her best friend.
"Thanks," he whispered before looking at Momma Swan, as he called her. "We got the Ferris Bueller one, which is that we call in sick one day and then hit the Dodgers game, but that's more a mission than a prank. We also got the Marty McFly, where we dress up as time travelers from the future and scare the librarian! She's like 80 years old so we fear she might have a stroke while we do it, so that's on stand by."
Peyton laughed at her best friend's craziness, yet, she would pay a million dollars to see them perform any of these pranks.
"We got the Johnny Castle, where we hire a lot of dancers and we make them perform in the cafeteria in the middle of the day, which sounds better in action than on paper, trust me."
"Recreational, because dancing is an art, but funny, because it would be the type of dance in Dirty Dancing," said Ella and Luke nodded.
"She gets it." Peyton rolled her as she listened to them. "And finally, the Dr. Venkman, where we make the teachers believe that the teacher's lounge is haunted... by ghosts! What do you think?"
"I think you have a lot of work to do to perfect those pranks," commented Mrs. Swan as she sat down next to Ella. "But congrats on the names, you nailed them."
"Well thanks, I try my best." He blushed, grabbing his bag. "We should get going, butterfly," he said to Peyton and she nodded, finishing her breakfast quickly. "Ella, do you need a ride to school?"
"That would be great, let me go get my board."
"Just as a warning, we also are going to pick up Julie and Reggie." Ella nodded.
"I actually been trying to talk to Reggie but he isn't picking up my calls." Luke stared at her confused.
Well that was odd.
"Why would you try to call Reggie?" Asked Peyton to her little sister as she just smiled.
"He asked me out yesterday and we kinda have a good time when we watch the movie in the backyard. I don't know."
"Give him time, he probably didn't even charge his phone after last night," tried to explain to her Luke as he passed her her board which had a Twenty One Pilots logo underneath.
The three of them said goodbye of Mrs. Swan and walked outside. Peyton and Luke got into the front seats of the truck while Ella hold on to the end of the trunk, waiting for him to start the engine.
"Does she know there is a perfectly fine row of seats behind us?"
"I don't think none of our friends know there are more seats here. They always sit on the trunk," reminded him Peyton as he started the car. "Are you scared of senior year?"
"What is it there to be scared of?" He tried to play it cool as he drove towards the Molina's house. "It's just another year, you know?
"Yeah, but we will graduate. It's scary, to see the future."
"We've had it planned since we were eight, butterfly. You go to a fancy art academy in New York, I continue with the band. It's what we've always dreamed of, isn't it?"
"I know but... don't you think there's more for us to look for than that?"
"What do you mean?" He asked her, keeping his eyes on the road.
She also looked the street in front of her, specially the ocean view they had from where they stopped in front of the traffic light.
"You aren't scared of the future? Like at all?"
"I don't see any part of it that it's scary for me," he admitted with total honesty, accelerating when the traffic light turned green, before parking outside Julie's house. "I've given everything to the band, and whatever destiny or Lord Almighty has planned for me, I'll take it with a big-ass smile."
Peyton stared at him for a few seconds, curious about his point of view of the world. He just turned around to the back seat, tossing things out so that Julie can be comfortable when she gets in.
"With who do you see yourself waking up next to in the morning?" She asked him. She sounded so serious it actually scared Luke for a second.
"Probably a cat. I've always wanted one," he admitted. "There she is! The girl of the hour! I was just leaving!"
Peyton turned around to look at Julie walking towards the truck at fast speed, opening the door and making Peyton squeezed over to Luke's side so she could pass to the back seat over Peyton's seat.
As Julie tried to make her way over the front seat, Peyton's back was laying entirely on Luke's arm. Her hair was caressing his cheek and she didn't even notice, but he did. He could smell how her hair smelled like flowers, and how close she was from him. He didn't mind, at all.
"This is why we never sit back here, Patterson, it is impossible to get in when people are in front," Julie explained as she was finally able to sat down. Peyton slides way from Luke towards her original seat, making the guy miss her touch instantly.
"Stop complaining. Ella hold on!" He yelled from the window before starting the truck again. "How are you holding for this new year, Molina?"
"I just want to get there and see if I share classes with any of you guys, because if I end up sharing every calls with Carrie Wilson again I will indeed lose my marbles." Let him know Julie as she opened her copy of The Old Man and The Sea by Hemingway, starting to read from where she left.
"Hey, Jules, you wanna hear about the pranks the guys and I planned for this year? I named them after 80s films' characters."
"I really don't want t—"
"There's the Ferris Bueller one, which isn't technically a pra—"
"Luke I don't want to know," Julie interrupted him, making Peyton chuckle while the guy just stayed silent, with a defeated look on his face. "I didn't want to be mean but I'm just really nervous about the music program audition."
"You are going to nail it, Jules," motivated her Luke as he parked outside of Reggie's house. "I believe in you. And if you don't, you can always join Sunset Curve."
"I'm not joining Sunset Curve, Luke."
"Oh come on!" He yelled hitting the wheel. Peyton held her laugh, looking at her phone instead.
They saw Reggie leaving his house and walking towards the truck door, but Luke blocked them. The bassist tried to open the door but it was locked.
"Trunk!" Yelled Luke from the inside, making Reggie raise his arms. "Now!"
Peyton looked at Reggie walking towards the trunk, where Ella was holding on to with her board on the road. She picked it up and both got in, sitting next to each other.
"And what was that for?" Asked Peyton to him, and he just smiled.
"What I like to call "Dr. Strangelove"," he replied, starting the car and driving towards the high school. "A little matchmaker magic."
"Wasn't Strangelove the Nazi scientist?"
"Yeah I know but Ella— never mind." He didn't want to reveal his deal with Ella by accident, so he decided to remain silent.
Peyton looked at him strangely. Ella?
"Since when you and my sister are such good friends?"
"We've always been friends, what do you mean?" Luke asked her, but Peyton simply stare at the road. "Hey Julie, you wanna hear the new song we recorded?" He changed the subject quickly.
"If it is for me to join to band, then I don't want to."
"Why won't you join the band!?"
"I'm not joining your band—"
"But why—!?"
"Because I'm not joining your band!"
"That's not an answer!"
"Guys, guys, stop." Peyton tried to calm them down as Luke entered the school's parking lot. "There are Alex and Willie, park next to them.
Luke listened to Peyton and parked next to Alex's car. Both looked at truck as the passengers started getting out of it.
"Hey guys," said Alex to Reggie and Ella, since they were the first to get out. "Ready for senior year?"
"Couldn't be less excited," answered Reggie grabbing his bass case from the trunk and carrying it on his back. "Luke came by yesterday and booked the music classroom for rehearsal after lunch."
"Good to know," whispered Alex as he saw Luke grabbing his guitar case from the trunk and carrying it on his hand. "Did you tell Peyton about the pranks?" The guitarist nodded as Peyton joined him, walking by his side. Alex turned around to look at his boyfriend. "The guys and I planned some senior year pranks and Luke named them like 80s movies' characters. You wanna join?"
Willie nodded, making Alex smile.
"I didn't think you would be excited for senior pranks, Alex," commented Ella as Reggie hugged her by the shoulders.
"I've been trying to avoid pranks all of my high school years. Now that we are seniors, I can finally do a prank."
"Even though he's the worst at pranks we let him participate because he is really excited about it," whispered Luke to Peyton's ear, making her chuckle.
"And you aren't equally or more excited?" Asked him Peyton as they entered the building, making Luke roll his eyes as she smiled.
The group walked towards the discipline office to pick their schedules, as they passed by several people they recognized.
"Hi Luke," said a girl from a group, and he waved at them, making them chuckle.
"It's the first day and you've making the girls thirst over you," said Reggie hitting him on the back, making Luke laughed.
"I really don't care. I just want to focus on the band this year, for real," he lied.
He did like it a little that people liked him. And maybe he got used to it.
"Hey Luke," said Carrie Wilson as she passed by the group in the other direction, making the guy raise his eyebrows.
"Hi Carrie," he replied, suddenly losing balance and turning around to look at her walk away.
"Carrie Wilson?" Asked confused Peyton as she help her friend restore balance. "From all the girls in school you have something for Carrie Wilson?"
"What?" He said in a high pitch, surprising his friends. He was nervous. "I don't have something for Carrie. I just know that she broke up with Nick over the summer and—" Peyton raised her eyebrows. "She told me! When she booked the band for the party last Saturday? The party we all went to?"
"Oh my God, you like her!" Exclaimed Peyton.
The rest of the group looked at each other. Everyone knew that Luke liked Peyton, so this was new for them. When did Luke get over Peyton?
"I-I don't like her," he said nervously, but Peyton didn't believe him. "I don't! I like someone else... I mean!" He was quick to correct himself. "I... don't have time for girls, I'm focused on the band."
"Hey, Carrie is coming back," lied Julie, making Luke turned around quickly.
"Where?" Everyone laughed, making Luke stare at them seriously. "Not funny."
After they pick up their schedules, Peyton joined Flynn and Julie, leaving the rest of the guys alone, filling their lockers.
"So this is where I left my last can of tuna fish!" Exclaimed Reggie taking it out of his locker. That can was there for all of the summer, and made everyone look at him in disgust.
"It expire so long ago, Reg," said Willie. "Let it go."
"The expiration date is just a suggestion, not a warning."
Ella rolled her eyes as she stood next to Luke, watching him take out the old books he left there over the summer.
"So, since when do you like Carrie Wilson?"
"I don't like Carrie Wilson," he was quick to answer, looking at her. "I still like Peyton but... I gave up after yesterday's failed success to ask her out. She laughed at my face!"
"Luke—" whispered Ella, but he interrupted her.
"No, Ella, it's okay. I figured last night that I won't waste my last high school year pinning over a girl who doesn't like me back. Why bother? And Carrie likes me, and I find her pretty."
"But Carrie isn't Peyton."
"You think I don't know that?" He implied, almost laughing at what she said. "No one is your sister, absolutely no one can even reach her toes. That's why she's way out my league, Ella. Why even bother to try when... she's not into me..."
"I never thought I would see you give up." He chuckled.
Neither did him.
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Luke was taking notes from the class on his notebook when a note was delivered to him from the side. He grabbed it curiously, since he didn't know from who it was.
It had his name on the front with a girl handwriting he also didn't recognize, and open it.
Want to go out on Friday after school?
-Carrie
He smiled, writing down his response before giving it to the same guy who gave the note to him. That made Peyton curious.
She followed the note with her eyes until it reached Carrie again, who smiled at the content.
Peyton was sitting next to Luke, and for the first time she has ever seen him interact with a girl. Ever. Well, in a romantic way.
Could be the song he wrote about Carrie? Carrie!?
No, he can't be into Carrie! She is mean and egocentric and definitely bad for him! His first love song can't be about someone like Carrie Wilson!
What does Carrie Wilson have that...
Don't even finish that question, Peyton, she thought to herself. Was she jealous? No, of course not... she doesn't like Luke.
But for some reason, she got used to the idea of Luke liking her and no one else, that the fact that he likes someone else is pissing her off.
Where was Luke "I don't care about girls" Patterson?
This wasn't her Luke. Did she just say her Luke?
Was the bell and the teacher dismissing the class which made Peyton wake up from her thoughts.
She walked side by side with him as they walked away from the class. He was smiling. Why was he smiling?
"I have a date on Friday," he let her know.
"So it is a date! Look, Patterson, I like you only as a friend—" He looked at her confused.
"What are you talking about?" He interrupted her.
"We were going out to the movies on Friday, remember? They were doing an special presentation of It's a Wonderful Life and I know it is your favorite movie. Even though it's black and white, I gotta admit it is good."
"Oh shit!" He whispered. "Can we move it? I planned a date with Carrie that day."
Oh...
Oh...
OH...
"Uhm, yeah I think they are going to present it on Saturday too."
"Sweet, uhm, I'll see you after school? I got band rehearsal after lunch and I'm going to help Ella study in study hall."
"You are going to help Ella study? Seriously, when did you guys became so close?"
"It's music history, I'm really good at that." Peyton nodded.
"Luke!" Called him Alex, who was standing next to Reggie. "Coming!?"
"In a sec!" He turned around to look at Peyton. "So... after school?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Sweet, bye," he said to her before running towards the guys.
Peyton looked at him as he walked away. It was the first day and things were already different.
POP CULTURE REFERENCES GUIDE
chapter 5
"We got the Ferris Bueller one..."
The first of Luke's senior year pranks is called Ferris Bueller for the famous 80s character. In the movie, Ferris with his best friend and his girlfriend, miss school and attend a Los Angeles Dodgers game.
"We also got the Marty McFly.."
As mentioned before, Marty McFly is the main character of the film series Back to the Future. He travels from the 80s to the 50s and during the movie, everyone comments how weird his clothes are. That's where Luke got the idea to dress like him.
"We got the Johnny Castle..." "...type of dance in Dirty Dancing."
Johnny Castle is the male main character of the 80s movie titled Dirty Dancing. He is a handsome dance instructor that teaches woman how to love. He then falls in love with Baby, the main character of the movie, after he teaches her how to dance."
"And finally, the Dr. Venkman..."
Dr. Peter Venkman is part of the Ghostbusters, the team from the 1984 film who seeks for the paranormal to exterminate them.
"She opened her copy of The Old Man and The Sea by Hemingway."
The Old Man and The Sea is a short novel written by American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951. It was his last major work. It's about the battle of an aging experienced fisherman, Santiago, and a large marlin.
"They are doing an special presentation of It's A Wonderful Life and I know it's your favorite movie."
Luke's favorite movie is the Frank Capra 1946 classic titled It's A Wonderful Life, in which God tells the story to his wings-less angel about George Bailey, a common man, and how his life drove him to the point of almost killing himself, and how this angel needs to prevent from it to happen. It's a beautiful black and white film that teaches the importance of life.