BAD OMENS ✬ luke hemmings

0.7 | calum

"I can't fucking believe her," Luke mutters, walking through the school halls with Calum. They're on the way to their English class, the last block of the day – and one of the only classes that the blonde and the girl share together.

Yesterday, after Aria walked out in a fit of stubborn rage, Luke couldn't understand why he was trying to be civil. As if he and Aria could ever be in the same room as each other, or talk to the other, like normal people.

"She's the fucking devil, a stubborn bitch." He rants, feeling relief that he's not expected to 'help out' again after school. "I was trying to be nice! I don't know how she gets away with everything, if I did half the shit she does, I'd be expelled."

"I don't know what to say," Calum shrugs. The boy isn't too involved in the drama, over the years it's gotten boring and too much to handle. The whole feud between Aria and Luke is getting old, and has become a real drag on their friends. As of now, Calum is completely uninterested in anything Luke has to say.

"You don't have to say anything," Luke huffs, the thought of Aria still fresh in his mind. "She can get away with murder if she tries hard enough, it's like she completely flies under the radar."

"Mate, it's a fucking Tuesday." Calum sighs, "And we have English, there are worse things in life than the satanic doings of Aria Stanton."

The two boys walk into the classroom, seeing those stupid coloured pieces of paper placed on the tables. Name cards, temporary assigned seating for the class. Calum groans, the name cards are codes that work will actually have to be done. The last thing Calum wants is to work in English, he figured it'll be a free block where Harris would send them off to the library to do fuck all.

Calum strolls around the room, examining the yellow papers – trying to find his name – only to end up next to the devil herself, who he can't seem to get a break from. He drags his feet, pulls out a chair and slides in, letting his bag drop to the floor. Across the room, Luke is seated with Chiedza. Luckily. They're not exactly close, but they're in complementary friend groups, she's with the girls, he's with the guys. That's how things work.

The rest of the class filters in, and Jodie Harris starts the class from her desk. She's meant to be giving time in class for the students to work on their oral assessments, which is what she's doing, though some students need more help than others.

Calum and Aria. Luke and Chiedza. Lily and Jose. Jess and Alice.

It's a small class, and it's not like any of the students listen – or understand – half the things she says, so may as well stick them together and have them learn. Of course, there are resources available if they have questions, but it's quite a simple process.

It's close textual analysis that's connected to a chosen global issue.

"Okay!" Ms Harris says, "I have partnered you up with someone for today's class, as we are in the beginning stages of learning what the IO is and how to write it." She explains, the screen of her laptop mirrored onto the TV in the class. "If you go onto the class section, and open up the folder that says 'Individual Oral', you'll see the first task."

It is basically a 'learning objective' for them to understand the individual oral, and a proposal form at the bottom – basically meaning that they have to figure out their topics and texts.

"I want you to work with your partner, both understand the IO together, then brainstorm and share your ideas with one another." Harris explains, "I believe that you can help each other."

Jodie Harris isn't lazy, she figured that – with Aria and Calum's case – that the teenage girl would be able to help him out more. Aria is a good student, she's always helping out Chiedza, and lord knows Calum could use the same help.