The Year Luke Hemmings Came to Stay

Chapter 3

I keep trying to find ways to distract myself. The sunny day, the smell of Ryan's pillows, anything to take my mind off the fact that my parents are at the airport picking up Luke right now.
"Are you nervous?"
"A little. I don't know why. It isn't that big of a deal. I mean, he might be an ugly fuckboy for all we know."
"You really think he's a fuckboy? No way! His name is Luke. That's such a hot name." Ryan was going through Polaroids of us from this summer.
"Hey, remember this?" She held up a picture of us outside of Eddy's diner. We were rollerblading, and I fell pulling Ry down with me. We were laughing so hard we didn't even notice her mom take the picture.
"How could I forget. I'm still on an ice cream high. Can you believe the summer's over?"
"We still have a week, Andrew."
"I know, but still. It went too fast."
"Come outside with me. I wanna smoke."
"You told me you'd quit," I said, getting up anyway.
"I say that to keep you optimistic."
We sit at her patio and look out toward the street. My parents should be driving down this road in the next few minutes with Luke, unless they take another way.
I'm drank strawberry pop as I watch Ryan blow out smoke rings.
"I was gonna head home before my parents get home to change, do you think I look too basic? I should wear something more like what you have on."
One thing I loved about Ryan was her "I don't give a fuck, judge me" attitude. It came in handy when meeting with new people and wearing what she wanted. Today she wore a black tennis skirt with a black halter top and black thigh highs with Vans. Her hair was done in space buns with pink glitter generously sprinkled on her head. She looked way better than me. I was wearing a cutoff sex pistols shirt with my moms old jeans made into shorts. Under them I was wearing skin color tights with tiny sheer stars on them with black high top converse. My hair was down, falling to the top of my shoulders with my bangs pinned to the side out of my face and I was wearing a black choker which I think was Ryan's but I can't remember.
"Uh I think you look great considering you can't go home and change now."
"Why can't I?"
"Because your parents are driving down my street right now."
I jump up and look over Ryan's white picket fence and sure enough, there's my parents white Kia about to pass her street.
"Holy-"
Before I can finish Ryan is throwing her cigarette into a bush and we are running over to her fence to catch a glimpse in the backseat of my parent's car. Ryan is leaving a trail of pink glitter from her hair onto the grass as we make it just in time.
"Look up! Come on, look up!"
I scream at the car but my parents are zooming down Ryan's street straight out of our sight.
"Dammit! Did you see him at all?" I say, sinking down to the ground by Ryan's feet.
"Not even a glimpse, but I think he was wearing a snapback!"Ryan said excitedly.
"Oh my God he is a fuckboy."
"Or a potential bae! Stop judging a book by it's cover. You never know, Andy. Meeting this guy could be a great experience for all of us."
"I guess you're right," I say, getting up from the ground.
"I better head home. Don't forget to come over later, okay?"
"How could I forget? I can't wait to meet him! Pray he's cute!" Ryan says, crossing her fingers at me.
"Okay," I say, exiting her backyard gate.
As much as I hate to admit it, I know Ryan's right. I shouldn't judge this guy even though I don't know him. I wouldn't want him doing that to me.
~
"Mom? I'm home!"
"That's great, Andy! Come in the living room and meet Luke."
I couldn't put my finger on it but something about my mom's voice was, different. I mean she always put on her professional voice when she was meeting new people. She even did it to Ryan before she got to know her. But her voice seems...off. Like she didn't expect something to be the way it was...
Before I enter the living room, I'm telling myself to mentally remember Ryan's words. "Pray that he's cute."
I walk into the living room remembering this. But as soon as I see his face, Ryan's words leave my mind immediately. Because calling this guy cute would be an insult, considering that he was the most stunning thing that I have ever laid my eyes upon.