Second Chance || Luke Hemmings

|| 14 ||

"This sucks balls," I sigh as Michael and I slowly walk up the steps to our small school. This place wasn't very big, it had like three thousand students in it, and that's pretty small for a high school.

"But it's our last year," I hear him cheer from beside me, and as excited as I am, it kind of scares me. I've lived in this city my entire life, I'm so used to the way things are, but when June rolls around, things are going to change big time. On to bigger and better things in life.

"Alice!" I hear a familiar voice squeal. I look up from the ground to find my beautiful red-head friend standing at the top of the stairs, open arms.

"Hi, Jace," I smile at her, accepting her hug.

"I haven't seen you all summer, oh my god, how are you?" She lets go of my hug and she still looks exactly the same as last time I saw her, maybe a few more freckles but that's it.

"I'm good, how are you?" I ask and she responds with the same answer.

"Hey, Michael," she shyly smiles over at him, a pinkish tint appearing on her face.

"Hey, Jace," he awkwardly smiles and I couldn't help but laugh, earning looks from both Jace and Michael.

We started to walk towards the gates that lead into our school, talking along the way.

"So you have psych first, right?" Jace turns over to me, wide smile. This girl is too cheerful for me on the first day of school.

I nod in response.

"Sweet! So do I," she links her arm in mine, excited to have first period together.

"Good, maybe you'll learn what's wrong with you," Michael jokingly said to me and I laughed.

"Please, we already know that I'm messed up in every way," he nods in agreement.

"Well, I gotta get going. I have damn math first," he grumbles and starts to walk away in the opposite direction to reach his class.

"See you at lunch!" I call out to him before turning the corner to head to my class.

Welcome back, Al.
**

I push my way through the crowd of kids walking at the speed of snails, just anxious to reach the table my friends and I claimed as ours.

When I reach it, I gladly take a seat in the shade, exhausted already. Only two more periods to go.

"Aw, is da wittle baby tired," Michael teases me with the childish voice he's been loving to do lately.

"Fuck off," I laugh, watching as he takes a seat across the table from me.

We are soon joined by our other friends who we haven't seen all summer either, Jace, Emily, Oliver, Jeremy, and June.

"It feels good to be back guys, I've miss y'all" Emily, our blonde headed friend, says excitedly.

"Speak for yourself," Jeremy grumbles, setting his lunch tray on the table and taking a seat next to Michael.

"Well it's good to see you too," I laugh, pulling my water from my backpack and taking a drink from it.

"I mean, heeeey Al, how's it going?" He sheepishly smiles before beginning to dig into his not-so-chicken chicken sandwich.

"Hey, Alice, isn't that Calum?" She nudges my side with her elbow, causing me to look up towards the gate that leads to the baseball fields.

And just like she said, the familiar blonde and brunette were walking towards us, bags and drinks in their hands.

"Luke? Calum?" I question, not really believing it's them. Michael turns around and looks just as surprised but more excited.