Geek Squad {Muke}

43 - Difference

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~Maya Angelou

Luke's POV

I was standing at my locker by myself, it was the first time I had been alone in what felt like forever. Even though I just spent an eternity alone. Michael was by my side every second of every day. He was only in the bathroom, I told him I could wait here - after all last time he made me go stand and wait in the bathroom, and it was not the best experience I have ever had. Plus, I still needed to put books in my bag and I figured this would be the perfect time to do so.

"Hey Luke." I turned and saw Dallas smiling at me. "How are you?" I just stared at him, bewildered for a second. "No response?"

"I'm not sure if I should be talking to you.." I replied.

"Yeah that makes sense." Dallas said. "What are you doing? Where's Michael?"

"Why are you asking so many questions?" I responded. "I'm not doing anything, Michael is the restroom."

"Cool, come outside with me." Dallas smiled. When I began to shake my head Dallas insisted. "I'll tell Michael you're with me, come on, it's a beautiful day! It might make you feel better."

"How do you.." I mumbled.

"I asked Michael about what was going on and he just kind of told me. He told all of us, so that way we would act better around you." Dallas said. "I personally don't think that we should treat you any differently, but Michael is being really weird about this."

"If I go outside with you, will you shut up?" I asked. Dallas nodded so I grabbed my bag and followed him outside the school. He plopped down under a tree and gestured for me to sit as well.

"What are we doing?" I asked as I looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"School got out ten minutes ago, they're all pretty much gone." Dallas shrugged. "So Luke, how's it going?"

"You keep asking that."

"That's because I want to know."

"Why should you get to know?"

"Because I want to help." Dallas said. "And I can't help if you don't ever talk to me."

"Why should you help?" I responded.

"Cause this is my fault." Dallas huffed. "I have to fix what I did."

"Alright." I mumbled.

"So Michael said you have this thing going on inside your head, tell me about that." Dallas leaned forward with a smile, as if he wanted to hear what I was going to say. Every voice in my head was screaming that this was weird, this was off. That this was not Dallas.

So out of impulse I reached forward and poked his face. Squished his cheek, flicked his nose.

"Hey!" Dallas said after I had flicked him. "Why'd you do that?"

"S-Sorry.." I replied. "I'm just confused. I can't tell if you're real or not. Dallas is not nice. You're not Dallas if you're being nice."

"Can't people change?" Dallas sighed. "Plus, I wasn't always mean to you."

"But you made Michael mean too..You made him not like me.." I muttered.

"Not true, I don't control Michael's actions." Dallas said. "Only you can control the way you act. Although I did fill Michael's head with the same kind of garbage yours is currently filled with, I did not make him punch you. Nor did I make him kick you."