BAD OMENS ✬ luke hemmings

4.5 | february

"I know everything changes! I don't care where it takes us!" Aria sings, the windows rolled down as she speeds down the quiet suburban street as if she's trying to match the bpm of the song, sharply turning every corner and barely stopping at passing stop signs.

Michael, bless his poor soul, is gripping onto the overhead handle, fearing for his life that the car will tip over on its wheels like a lifted golf cart. He wishes that he took the bus, or ordered an uber, or worse, walked because those three options would have been a lot safer than getting in this car with Aria.

Luckily, or unfortunately – depending on how he looks at it – the office has officially let the girl go. Freeing her of the dreaded after school duties. After months of a shitty schedule, she and Michael can go back to normal.

It's a new month, besides mock exams are scarily approaching in a week, and the reality of the ending of their high school career is slowly creeping in. After February, it leaves them with one full month left of school.

April doesn't count. April is the month of the infamous senioritis, it's the month of senior skip days and low attendance. It's also the month of the inevitable exam leave, and the last day of school before they return in May for three weeks of exams.

Clearly, Michael is more touched by the sentiment than the girl is. Based on how reckless she drives, she's ready to risk her life and throw away the last year and a half of a terrible diploma program.

She clutches her vape in her hand as she takes a hit. She's legal now, she can do whatever the hell she wants. Of course, she didn't want to go to school on her birthday – considering it being a Monday and having Spanish first block – but Sade and Jonah insisted she show up.

It's safe to say that when she arrived on school grounds she was greeted with a container full of homemade rice krispie treats, a birthday crown, and a bag full of gag gifts – that Michael, Jonah, and Calum helped put together.

"I was dumb! I was wrong! I let you down!" She continues to belt her heart out, screaming over the music which is unbelievable, since she's got the speakers playing at max volume.

Having had enough of it, and turning down his street, Michael reaches for the volume control and turns the music down. "Aria!" He exclaims, "I get that you're legal now, but that doesn't mean you should drive like you've got a death wish."

"I was listening to that!" She says, cutting herself off from continuing her one-sided serenade. Michael rolls his eyes as she begins to slow down, pulling over on the street outside Michael's house. "Besides, for once, I'm in a good mood."

"What? Did Luke not bother you at all today?" He comments, opening the car door and sliding out before slinging his bag over one shoulder.

The comment catches Aria off guard, she forgets that she's supposed to hate the blond in front of her friends. The thought itself is concerning, especially when she factors in the truth that Luke might actually be one of her friends now.

She doesn't even know how it happened, it just did. First they're agreeing to some sort of weird truce, then their sneaking around – as if they're committing many felonies – during study hall and useless classes for insignificant conversations.

Just last week, Aria and Michael were in math – doing nothing – and she told him she was going to the bathroom... She was gone for ten-minutes and spent that time in the library 'bothering' Luke in one of the independent study rooms, as if he were one of her friends.

Safe to say, the realization was anything but comforting.

"I didn't see him at all today," she fakes a smile. "I actually wasn't thinking about him until you brought it up, so, thank you for ruining my day." She jokes, reaching over to the passenger seat, grabbing onto the shallow armrest on the door and slamming it shut. "You're free to go now."