Self-Destruction • Luke Hemmings

Chapter 11

It's now Wednesday. Yesterday was alright, I only got sent out of Geography and English, which is okay, I guess. I had music this morning but I have maths again now. I already feel my hands get sweaty at the thought of being in that room again. I walk in with Michael and Calum, 5 minutes early, and blink when I see someone sitting in the seat next to mine, not someone, I know that person, Luke Hemmings.

He's supposed to be in all my classes but he wasn't in yesterday and wasn't in this morning either. Calum rolls his eyes when he sees Luke, and I see Luke smirk slightly. I reluctantly grab my book that is sitting on top of the teachers desk, and sit down.

"Didn't think I'd see you here." Luke smirks, only speaking when a few more people walk in and the classroom fills with noise.

"Could say the same to you, what's your name again?" I say seriously, pretending he hasn't left any impression on me at all. He raises an eyebrow.

"Just look at my book." He says, flashing me his book, I pretend to scan his book; then nod knowingly.

"Yeah, Luke, that's it." I say sarcastically. At this moment, our teacher walks in, she scans the classroom, then her eyes hover on me

"Hopefully no distractions this time, Faith, eh?" She says, I suddenly feel anger, who does she think she is?

"Whatever." I mutter quietly, so only Luke hears.

She turns to the board and writes a quick sum involving an x and some numbers, she then turns back around.

"Can you answer this, Faith?" She asks, and my worst fears come to life. The numbers get muddled up and my mouth goes dry, I desperately try to think of a number but nothing happens.

"Minus 7." The voice beside me says, I turn slightly to face him, but he's still facing the board.

"Minus 7?" I say hesitantly, hoping he isn't saying the wrong answer to make me look stupid.

"Great Faith! I guess I don't have to wait for you to catch up, excellent." She exclaims, with a huge look of relief on her face. She then hands all of us out sheets and tells us to continue with the work we did last week. The class is quiet noisy so I decide to say something to Luke.

"I'm not very good at math." Is all I say, he nods, he's already finished the first 2 questions, while I've only just wrote and got stuck on the first one.

"I can tell." He replies.

"Wait, what, how?" I mumble. It's embarrassing having to tell this stranger I'm not academically inclined in a certain subject.

"When she asked you a question your eyes went all fuzzy and you fumbled with your fingers." He says, I didn't even realise I fiddle with my fingers, I frown hating the way he reads me so easily, when all I try to do is stop that from happening.

"Because I told you the answer to that, you need to do something for me." He says seriously, and as I have no head to mouth filter, I say the first thing that comes to mind.

"I'm not giving you head." I say, and he bursts out laughing, while I struggle to keep a straight face at the fact he found that funny.

"You've got to hang out with me some time." He says after he's stopped laughing.

"Oh, yeah, I guess." I mutter, not expecting him to say that.

"I'm gonna hold you to that reluctant agreement." He nods, and I hold up my pinky.

"What are you doing?" He asks, eyeing my pinky suspiciously.

"Pinky promise? Do you not do that in Australia?" I reply, his eyes light with recognition,

"Oh, yeah, I thought you were just forcing me to join this secret club." He says, and I laugh a little, then compose myself. He puts his pinky in mine, and then I realise it.

The rest of that lesson he just lets me copy his work, and for some reason I feel bad.

"What was Luke saying?" Calum asks as soon as we get out of the classroom and he sees Luke walking in the opposite direction.

"He made me promise to hang out with him." I say back simply. Michael widens his eyes.

"Oh god." He says.

"What?" I ask, bewildered.

"Luke's a dick and he tries to play every girl in the school, because you're new, you're like his new toy." Michael says slowly, I just nod in understanding.

"I don't get feelings, it's fine." I laugh. I seriously don't, I've never fell in love before or even felt more than a tolerance for people.

"I have an idea." Calum quips up.

"What?" Michael asks, as we all head off into the direction of the lunch room.

"You won't get feelings for him right?" Calum clarifies, and I nod.

"Well why don't you play him at his own game?" Calum suggests.

"What do you mean?" I frown, I don't understand.

"Make him fall for you, then dump him." Calum spells out, as though it's obvious. Calum's pretty keen on hurting Luke, I notice.

"Why don't you like him?" I ask, before agreeing.

"Basically, Me, Calum, Ashton and Luke were all good friends, then Luke went and slept with Calum's girlfriend and Ashton took Luke's side, and now we hate each other." Michael rushes, I think this through.

"Wouldn't it be the girls fault just as much as Luke's though?" I ask in confusion. I'm not trying to defend Luke, I'm just trying to understand.

"I'm over that. It's just that he didn't apologise or anything, he acted as though I needed to keep a better eye on her." Calum shakes his head sadly, I'm not sure whether he's sad about him not being friends with Luke, or that his girlfriend cheated on him, but I don't ask.

"I'll do it." I finally say, but instantly feel nervousness once I say these words, knowing I'll probably regret it.