inciting incident | lrh

chapter :: six

LUKE

"Mathews, get your butt in this car!" I yelled at her and rolled the window back up.

I rubbed my temple and propped my elbow onto the car door.

"What are you pulling this time, Hemmings?" Calum chuckled, leaning back into his seat.

I watched Ella hesitantly walk around the car, "She's Madeline's new girlfriend." I shrugged like it was a good enough explanation. Ella pulled the back door open and slid into the seat behind me.

Calum laughed and shook his head, like he understood exactly what I meant.

"Where are we going?" Ella spoke up from behind us.

"This one with the questions." Calum muttered in an irritated tone.

"Just wait until we get her to sit down." I rolled my eyes and backed out of the school's parking lot.

-

"We're only sophomores, we're not allowed to go off campus." Ella complained as we entered the restaurant.

Calum held the door open for us, "Can I slam this door into her face?" He whispered as I walked into the restaurant.

I laughed and shook my head.

We walked over to a booth, I sat next to Calum and we waited for Ella to sit across us, but she stood at the end of the table, arms crossed and her foot tapping the floor.

"What?"

"What do you mean what?" Ella rolled her eyes.

"I mean, what are you doing. Sit your ass down." I gestured to the empty booth in front of me.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Jesus Christ..." Calum muttered under his breath.

"Just sit down, we can talk shit about your girlfriend." I joked.

"What?"

"Mathews! Sit. The fuck. Down." I said slowly.

It took her ten fucking minutes to place her ass on that damn seat. Oh my god, now I wish Calum did slam that door in her face.

There was an awkward silence between all of us, which soon made me regret inviting Ella to come and have lunch with us.

"So, Mathews..." Calum started.

"I prefer Ella." She cringed.

"Okay, then. Ella," Calum rolled his eyes at her. "you and Maddie, huh?"

"Why does he know?" Ella said sternly, diverting her eyes to me.

"Why not?" I scoffed.

"Maddie doesn't like having people around the school knowing about us just yet." Ella shrugged, her eyebrows knitted.

"So she's afraid to let the school know she's no longer a hiccup?" I rephrased what she was trying to say.

"A hiccup?" Ella questioned.

"Hiccup? Where'd you get that?" I snorted.

"You said hiccup." Ella giggled.

"I said hookup." I argued.

"No you didn't." Ella laughed.

"Yes I did!"

"You said hiccup, dude." Calum chuckled.

"Fuck off!" I snapped at him.

I folded my arms across my chest and scrunched my eyebrows together as I stared down at Ella's hands in front of me on the table.