Lies My Mother Told Me

Chapter 1:(New)

"Omigod! Summer! Guess what!" my friend Erin shrieked giddily in my face. Erin was one of my best friends. The type of friend you sleepover each other’s houses every night and share your deepest darkest secrets with? Yea, that was Erin. Except she was really giggly and bubbly. I on the other hand, don't mind hiding under my hoodie and glasses. Erin wanted people to know her business and everything she was doing. I guess you can say opposites attract.

"What?" I said pushing her to the side of me so I could continue walking to history class. I hated when she would pop out of nowhere and get all up in my face smiling. But, ya got to love her. She took a long huff of air trying to catch her breath before she told me the news.

"Okay, so you know Luke Somers? The one with the really cute green eyes?" I nodded. "You will not believe what he did to me!" She squealed girlishly and I rolled my eyes.

"Can you just tell me?" I said giggling and playfully shoving her into the lockers. She slapped my shoulder with her dainty little hand.

"Luke gave me a hickey! Isn't that so amazing! My dreams have finally come true! Just look at it!" She stopped abruptly in the middle of the hallway, “Me and Luke...together!" She said placing her hands on her heart and staring up in the ceiling admiring her fantasy playing in her head. Typical Erin always wishes and expects the best. And when he breaks up with her, she is the poor littlest depressed girl you have ever seen. She always gets her hopes up to high. I remember one time she fell for this guy Seth Manchester back in junior year. I convinced her to tell him how she felt so she did and put it into a letter. He read the letter in front of her and his friends and they all laughed hysterically at her. She ran off crying and missed school for a week.

I really did not understand why getting a hickey was such a whoop dido deal. I asked my mom what a hickey was because Erin was to shocked I did not know she would not tell me. My mom said it was a cold that you get and you get this big unattractive purple thing on your neck or chest area. Erin was so excited that Luke gave her a cold? I did not understand a lot of things Erin told me since we entered Junior High. I just nodded my head and smiled. It worked!

"I don't understand why getting a hickey from Luke means you guys are together or he loves you. It is just a stupid ugly purple thing on your neck," I said shrugging my shoulders. I stood to the side of Mr. Lurch's classroom and waited for Erin. She let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Look, getting a hickey from Luke means he left his mark on me. Like marking his territory. That tells every boy that I am off limits. Get it?" She said fiddling with the red bow in her hair. Fighting with Erin wasn't going to get anywhere. I nodded okay and sluggishly walked into History. I plopped down on my seat next to Alyssa Maters and in front of Steven Miller. Alyssa was a sweet girl and never really talked much. She always had her head buried in her book. Steven Miller on the other hand, was an immature jackass I wanted to give a good punch in the face. He was the type of boy who would shoot spitballs in your hair and constantly kick your seat during a test and ask for answers. I hated Steven Miller. He was the reason I had to get my hair cut super short in the beginning of 7th grade. He was sitting behind me in Math Class and needed answers to a few questions. I refused to give them to him, so he took 2 pieces of gum, chewed it up, stretched it out, and stuck it all over my hair. I screamed at him in class and he got suspended. It wasn't enough revenge, so his mom made him pay for the haircut.

Luke Somers made his grand entrance into the classroom. Some girls giggled and pushed aside their friends giving him their full attention. He winked at a couple of girls and they melted. I rolled my eyes and opened my notebook to a blank page. This was how it usually worked. All the girls, including Erin, would drool over Luke in class and I would sit there doodling Mickey Mouse or butterflies.

“Is this seat taken?” he asked in a confident voice. My pencil stopped and I looked up to see Luke halfway sitting in the seat. Any girl would die to have him sit next to them. I just shook my head no and continued drawing. I had no interest in him whatsoever.

"Okay class..." yelled Mr. Lurch's raspy cigarette voice. As he spoke everybody had to breathe in hot cigarette breath. It made my nose tickle. Class dragged on and on and on. My grade point average was a 4.0 and I did not bother to listen to the lesson. I would skim over the section at home and ace the test. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. People stopped whispering to each other and resorted to passing notes.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to see Luke smiling holding out a note. Why was Luke Somers handing me a note? I looked over at Erin to the right of me and she was already looking at us wondering. I gave her a confused look and turned back to Luke. I snatched the note and unfolded it under my desk. I looked up every few seconds to make sure Mr. Lurch didn’t catch me. Knowing him he’d read the note aloud to the class.

Hey Summer,

I know we didn’t know each other that much, but I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to a party with some friends on Friday.

-Luke

I looked over at Erin who still wanted to know what was going on.

‘Is it for me?’ she mouthed. I shook my head no and her face fell. She looked away and sadly continued her notes. I stared back at the note and read it one more time.

Luke Somers? Wanted to go to a party with me? Please tell me I’m dreaming.