Faking Me - l.h. AU

Chaper Nine

Days passed with our agreement. Luke would pick me up and drive me to school and I would cook extra for him. Ends up, Luke was actually a cool guy and we got to know each other chatting over lunch or fighting over the music (turns out Luke is pretty passionate over his music choice)

I was running late that morning, getting dressed while I rumbled around the house, knocking a lamp over and spilling milk over the kitchen tile. This wasn't my morning at all. I would have to clean all my shit later that day.

It was mid october and only getting colder. I pulled a beanie over my braided hair and a jacket over my sweater, trying to keep the warm in my body.

"He's been waiting," Steve said on my way out of the complex's glass door. "That's rude from you, Zelds"

Steve kept teasing me everytime I went through the reception in my way out:

"Your limmosine is here, Ms. Meeley"

"Use protection."

"When am I gonna meet the lucky guy again?"

"Remember the manners I taught you, missy."

Each time I'd efectively flip him off or use un-ladylike words at him. He craved that mineral, though.

"Fuck you too, Stu." I called over my shoulder. I was out of the door before I turned and poked my head back in, "and have a nice day," I smirked.

"Morning," Luke greeted when I got into the car, throwing my bag in the backseat.

"Hi, Luk-" I started to say, but a look at his face killed the words forming in my throat. "Holy shit."

The bags under his eyes were dangerously close to black, his hair was a mess of blond strands, covered by a... dirty beanie? How did he get a beanie dirty? And his eyes looked so tired I could have sworn he hadn't take a nap in a year.

I had already notice tiredness on Luke in the past week. The bags getting worse, the tendency to wear things over his hair increasing, he even almost felt asleep in class once; but, fuck, never this bad. I was actively scared he would fall asleep behind the wheel.

"Yeah, good morning to you too," Luke sighed, turning the ignition and driving away from my apartment complex. "That bad really?"

"No, no, I was just taken aback because you usually look so fresh and-" I said, keeping my real thoughts away from my face expression. It didn't work for shit as Luke send me a clear don't-bullshit-me look. I sighed, "Ok, then, you do look like hell."

"I appreciate the honesty, thank you very much, Zelda." He said back, and I noticed him trying to give me a reassuaring smile that worked as much as my tries to be polite.

Luke leaned in to turn on the radio, fumbling with it until he found the right button, his active morning playlist starting to play. //Certainly//, he had a "active morning" playlist.

"Oh, is this kind of morning?" I glanced at him, teasing him about his morning tiredness, "Needing some mojo?"

"Shut up, Z."

----------------------------------------------------

"What's in today?"

"Well, good sir, today's special consist of a nicely roasted red meat cut, accompanied by a rich gravy, all between two fresh slices of bread..." Big words with a posh british accent is the best way to describe food. We sat in what in the last couple of days became our table; laughing at our dorky jokes. Whenvqe finally stopped laughing, I pulled out the bags, "Translation: roast beef sandwiches, I hope you like it."