clouds ☁ lrh

three

Week two
Over the next few days, my mom invited the Hemmings over a lot, but in between, Luke and I sometimes hung out, just to show his around town or something. We got along really well, and that made me really happy. One night, in particular, I remembered the look on Luke's face when his mom brought up shadowing me.
Pure horror.
Now, it was the day of, and he wasn't one bit more excited.
My mom pulled the car out of the driveway and began the short journey to school. Even with an extra person in the car, it was more quiet than ever.
"So Luke, are you excited?" My mom asked, speaking to him like he was retarded. He didn't do anything besides look out the window.
"This must be so stressful," she cooed. "I'm sure you will have a great day!"
"You can stop talking to him like he is brain-dead, mom."
Luke turned to give me that, what-the-actual-fuck-Lauren? look, and then started giggling.
"Lauren, be nice," my mom warned.
"Says you."
She stopped the car short with anger in the parking lot, so I used the opportunity to get out of the car. Luke limped along side me, the giggly smile fading the closer we got the the front doors.
"Don't worry," I reminded him. "Stick with me, kid."
He swallowed hard, and kept walking along side me, the plastic bottoms of the crutches clicking on the pavement. I pulled open the heavy front doors and lead the way to the in office.
"How can I help you?"
"I'm here to pick up papers, f-for-"
"He is shadowing me today." I finished for him. He shot me a silent thank you glance.
"Last name?"
"Hemmings."
"Alright, take these home to your mom," the secretary smiled, sliding a paper-clipped stack of paperwork to us across the counter.
We thanked her, and headed back to the hallways which were slowly filling up with students. He followed me down to my locker and waited for me to get my books.
First period seemed to take forever to get started. Luke fumbled with his sweatshirt (that seemed to engulf him) nervously.
"Stop being nervous,"
"Sorry," he mumbled.
Before too many people came, I latched my foot around his chair leg and scooted it next to my desk.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Moving you towards my desk, because I have the books."
"Oh."
He was very light, which made it easy. He put the crutches under his chair and tried to hide them with no luck.
"When does the teacher get here?"
"Soon."
I practiced re-reading notes, reciting phrases in french for my finals. I kept being distracted by his shaking fingers pulling apart the seams on his sweater.
Eventually, what I was afraid of happened.
"Lauren, where the fuck have you been?"
I rolled my eyes and cheek-kissed James on the cheek.
"What's this?" He asked, kicking Luke's chair.
"This has a name, dumbass. It's name is Luke. He is my neighbor." I informed him, flicking his ear. "Luke, this is James, James is my boyfriend."
"Oh."
"It talks?" James chuckled.
"Sure as hell he does, now get to class."
-
Lunch seemed to stressful for most students, but for Luke, it was WWIII. I didn't quite understand, but then again, I didn't know what it was like to be in his shoes so I kept my mouth shut and pulled him along behind me.
We found a table, and sat down to wait for the other kids.
"So," I asked. "It wasn't that bad, was it?"
He shrugged, and used a fork to squish a cherry tomato in his lunch to bits.
"It's only seventh period."
"It's know." I sighed.
As the cafeteria filled in, it began to get louder, until eventually having a conversation was pointless.
"It will get easier." I sighed. "But at least your not alone, at home growing old with eight cats. "
He cracked a little smile. "Oh yeah? What if I don't like cats?"
I rolled my eyes. Soon enough, my friend Jamiee  came over, and plopped her tray down next to mine.
"Heard we've got fitness tests in gym," she blurted. "Fourth period said it was brutal."
I shrugged. "Nothing we haven't endured before. By the way, Jaimee, this is Luke, Luke this is Jaimee."
"New here?" She asked. He shook his head.
"Shadowing me."
"Ah."
Jaimee opened her milk carton, and set it back on the tray. After grabbing her phone, she knocked it over, making it spill all over the table.
"Fuck, I'm so sorry," she giggled, using a napkin to get the milk off of Luke's phone.
"It's fine, really, I'll get a paper towel,"
He clicked away, and Jaimee gave me the eye.
"Why is h-"
"Jaimee, keep your blabbermouth shut, and stop staring."
This shut her up for a while, for at least as long as she would have to know Luke.
-
Gym class was hell.
Aside from being tortured myself, Luke had to shadow someone in the goddamned locker rooms, and according to inside sources, got picked on again.
He clicked his way to the sidelines, which I assumed her was used to, but seemed really upset.
"You okay?" I asked, finishing tying my hair up.
"Yeah, you should, uh, get back to your team." He suggested, flashing a quick smile.
"Are you sure? If someone said somet-"
"Lauren, it's fine."
I shook it off, and made it back to my team to search for someone in particular.
"Michael," I whispered, poking him. "If you pull any funny shit on Luke next year, bet your sorry ass I will have you slaughtered."
-
"So, it wasn't that bad was it?"
"Eh."
I chuckled.
"Luke, I'm telling you, you will have a good time here. Don't stress."
"I'll try not to, thanks." He smiled, doing the nervous crutch-rocking that seemed to happen a lot.
"You wanna come over?" I asked. "If your tired or something, its cool, but if your going to go home and be bored your welcome over."
"Sure, I guess. Thanks."
"For what?"
"For letting me hang out with you," he stated, letting the thought slid off like it was no big deal as he pulled out his phone.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" I asked, crawling into my mom's car.
"People don't do that with cripples, normally."

I finished writing this book; there is eleven chapters (ten plus prologue) and shit
Just shit