The Year Luke Hemmings Came to Stay

Chapter 6

School was going by way too slow and I couldn't help but be worried about Luke. I offered to go to the office with him to get his schedule but he said it was fine. What if he got lost? Or was late and they gave him a detention? Or worse...
"You don't think he met Gabby, do you?"
"It would be horrific, but I doubt it. She's in all the dumbass classes."
Ryan and I had every class together, with the exception of algebra. I didn't mind that because math is my worst subject and with Ry making me laugh in there, I would be sure to fail.
"Yeah, but she's the last person I would want him to meet."
Gabby is not only the meanest girl in school, but she's the most boy crazy, too. I'm a first class feminist and am totally against slut shaming, but this girl will sleep with guys at school and I swear she keeps tally in her locker. But her fascination was making my life terrible. She doesn't bully me because I know how to stand up for myself, but she's so goddamn annoying I'd rather be bullied. She's always claiming she's modeling for Victoria's Secret even though she's 5'5" and if she saw Luke, he'd be her new obsession.
Ryan finishes out history chapter and puts her book away. "Imagine her face if she found out he lived with you."
I smiled at the thought.
"Yeah that would be wicked incredible."
The bell rings indicating it's lunch time. We head to the band room to meet our usual lunch group. "Do you think Luke has anyone's to eat with? I don't want him to be lonely."
As if on cue, Luke turns down the hall and walks in our direction.
"Luke!" I shout just a little too loud. He turns and walks over to us.
"Hey guys. This is a really big school."
"Yeah like an asylum." Ryan says under her breath.
Two guys walk down the hall towards Ryan.
"Hey, nice ass Ryan, as always," one said, pulling one of her curls.
"Suck my dick, Peter!" She shouts after him, earning a few looks because she's clearly a girl.
"So, anyways, Luke. We eat lunch in the band room with some of our band friends. Do you wanna come?"
"You guys are sweet, thanks. But someone invited me to lunch already. But maybe some other time."
"Oh, okay. We'll have fun. See ya," I said, trying to mask my disappointment.
As Luke disappears down the hall, I turn to Ryan and we head towards the band room.
"I wonder who invited him to lunch." Ryan said.
"Yeah, me too."
Me and Ry got to the band room and met our lunch group. We don't really see each other besides at lunch, but we all are pretty much done with school. There's Sydney, who's gorgeous and a little off, but still sweet, there's Brenden, who's a stoner junior with straight A's, and Nathan, the art major senior. He's my favorite guy in this crap school. If he wasn't gay, he'd be my dream guy. We sat in the band room and started talking about our summer.
"So, did anything interesting happen to anyone?" Sydney asked.
"Nothing." Brenden said.
"Same old, but, I'm starting a painting for the art museum downtown, so hopefully I get in." Nathan said proudly.
"Nothing here. But Andy has a some info that you will find quite foreign." Ryan said, proud of her pun.
"What's up, Andy?" Nathan said, sitting up.
"Well, there's this guy..."
"Yes! Finally!" Brenden scooted closer to me.
"Wait! Let her finish!" Ryan threw a wheat thin at his head.
"He's a foreign exchange student from Australia who's-"
Ryan cut me off mid sentence "WHO'S STAYING WITH HER FAMILY AND HE'S SWEET AND FUNNY AND THEY PRACTICALLY SHARE A BED!"
"WHAT?!" All three of them shout.
"No! She's lying. We don't share a bed! He stays down the hall."
"Regardless, she has her future boyfriend right in the palm of her hand." Ryan is so proud she's sitting up straight.
"Wait, so Luke is staying with you?"
Everyone turns to Nathan.
"Nathan, you know Luke?"
"He's in my math class. And he didn't have a lab partner in science so he's mine for the year."
"That means you have even more connections to Luke! Isn't that great, Andy?!"
"Yeah, I mean, he's already in my house."
~
After lunch, we had our last class, and the one I was most excited for: creative writing. I've been waiting for this class for so long and I finally have it. Me and Ryan walked in and Sydney was there, too. She sat at our table as the class began to fill up. We talked about how exciting it would be. To learn about Shakespeare and Poe, and sonnets and poetry. I got lost in the excitement when Ryan's eyes went toward the door. I followed them to see crystal blue ones staring at us. Luke walked over to our four seated table. "Is this seat taken?" Sydney blushed and shook her head no as I watched him take a seat and pull out a black journal. This would be an interesting year.