The Cheerleader :: l.h + a.i

:: two ::

"You what?" Michael hissed through our little gap in the book shelf. With widened eyes I glanced around the history books relived not to spot the librarian. I thought if anybody would be the least bit open minded about what I did last night it would have been Mikey but I guess I could have been wrong.

"I just gave him a ride." I shrugged. Squinting at a book in his hand Mikey shoved it back into place and traced his finger across a few other titles until poking another one out.

"Well, what happened?"

"Nothing, Jeez he's just a guy, he's on our team." I hissed at him, my sudden defensive tone making Mikey's eyebrows raise off of his forehead as his eyes were drug from the book in his hands to mine.

"No he's not on our team." He told me with a stern lingering stare into my eyes as if trying to see how far his words really registered. Ambushed by his comment I forced myself to stare at the dirty carpet between my feet, it's not fair this kid gets picked on for being who he is and it's not fair that one very quiet drive home made me care.

"So I can't give gays a ride home?"

"Not if it could cost you your spot on the team, what if Vernon saw?"

"Screw Vernon, he's a dick."

A thumb dug into my shoulder and I yanked my face from the book shelf just as the same hand swooped the parted books back into place blocking my sight of a curious Mikey in the other isle.

"Young man do you talk like that at your dining room table?" Ms. Burry scolds me through her thick bifocals. Her old lips curled up in an age induced snarl. Shaking my head I feel a hot flush race across my face.

"No ma'am."

"Then not in my library." Nodding at her I apologize in a muttered tone and follow her dismissive finger pointed towards the exit, with my head down.

Laughing into his palms Mikey pushes through the library doors with his checked out History books in his arms. I glare at him until he's done laughing at me, instead of following him to the cafeteria for the remainder of lunch he sinks onto the bench beside me and places his books at our feet.

"They turned the showers on all over his clothes and I think somebody stole his lucky necklace or something." The term melting could explain the way my face fell as Mikey told me what I knew couldn't be made up. It explains why he was still in his uniform when I found him last night. All the times I turned a blind eye to what had been going on I had used to convince myself it wasn't happening but obviously Luke couldn't pretend.

"His gold necklace, the one he wears every game, who would take that from him?"

"Vernon maybe, or his side kick. Speaking of the devil."

Just as Mikey threw a smile over his disgusted face I looked up to watch Calum Hood high five a Junior Rugby player and spot Mikey with a coy grin that the douche bags of our school learned to communicate with.

"Mike, Ashton, what's good I didn't see you in the cafeteria?"

"Last minuet home work for Mrs. Charley." Mikey lied about his extra credit work, sparing me a sly glance that told me to keep quiet. I knew Mikey refused to inform the team about his decision to peruse an education rather then become an athlete after high school, I was able to help him with his studies in return he was an open flood gate into the school wide drama being as popular and friendly as he is.

"Her class sucks, she sent Vernon and me to the office today for 'instigating' a minor riot in study hall. We want vending machines back." He said with determined eyes that quickly flicked into humorous, practically giving me whiplash.

"How was last nights party, I herd Vernon and Shelby split again." Mikey easily fits into his role as Mike, I excused myself although I doubt they paid any attention to me as I slid past them and around the corner of conjoined lockers.

With my hands stuffed in my pockets I strolled down the Sophomore and Junior halls enjoying the view of our rugby field outside the large windowpanes. At the end of the Junior hall I was pushed around through the rushing crowed of Juniors trying to get to their next class, being shoved around and touched to much I found the senior hall entrance with exasperated relief and dove straight forward through a pack of junior girls who gushed and giggled as I brushed past them.

Just out of dodge I rounded a corner of lockers expecting my locker to be singled out by memory but what I found was anything but familiar, standing on sturdy long legs with eyes so wide I could count individual eye lashes Luke stood before me in front of my locker and speechlessly turned beat red beneath my stare.

"Hi." He muttered with a pained look on his face as I just stood staring at him. I caught him trying to escape from waiting at my locker.

"Did you forget something in my truck?" I managed to ask trying to brush off our secant awkward encounter within twenty four hours by walking around him and twisting in my locker combo. The secants of silence it took for me to remember what class I had next overweighed my sudden uneasy stomach. I should have eaten something.

Peeking around the locker to make sure he didn't run I notice his widened eyes as he glanced around the hall.

"What?" I ask making his eyes grown larger if possible.

"I just wanted to tell you that I won't tell anyone about last night." He quickly spits out while strangling the straps of his backpack with two pale fists. Hauling my lit books into my arm I close the locker and lock it.

"It's not like it was a secret, tell who you want." I shrugged trying to downplay his overreaction, I had to hide the impact of it, have I ever given him a reason to think I would be like any of them?

"Ashto- I mean, sorry. I just, I thought." He's afraid to call me by my name.

"I really don't care who you tell, it was a ride home and if you need another then just ask." Suddenly angry at him for expecting the worst out of me I walk around his speechless form and although I herd his mouth open to speak I don't stay behind long enough to hear what else he has to say. Maybe he'll call me a liar and ask me to just throw him into the locker to get it over with.

I've never done anything to him and he just assumes I'm as nasty as them, though I never did anything to stop what was happening. By the time I made it to English 12 I was guilt stricken and really not in the mood to watch Vernon flirt with the teacher all period.

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