5 Shades of Summer (Muke AF)

Prologue

Age Seven

I bounced up and down on the balls of my feet. Mum didn't know (still doesn't, to my knowledge), but I was wearing all black converse pumps. What can I say? I'm a rebel. The doors for school hadn't opened yet and my support system (read: my older sister Jacelyn) had strutted over to talk to her friends. I was left alone, waiting for the boring grey doors to be opened, so I could escape the frigid outside for the vague warmth of the primary school in front of me. I was seven years old, and full of hope, so full of life, and eager for my first day. I ran my hand through my blonde hair, feeling nerves bubble up within the pit of my stomach. A plump lady with spiky red hair pushed open the door, and everybody swarmed toward the entrance. I was buffeted towards the back of the crowd, being pushed from student to student like a pinball until talons enclosed my bicep firmly and dragged me through the crowd. I tilted my head up to see Jacelyn (read: Jacey, my elder sister-to this day I still have no idea what had happened to Bella, my eldest sister), who met my eyes and give me a small smile.

"Can't be late on your first day, Luke!" She said into my ear. I smiled gratefully at her, and allowed myself to be dragged into the wide corridors of my new school. The nerves were really getting to me at this point, acid bubbling up. Jacey stopped outside my classroom. She gave me a swift hug. "I know it's scary starting a new school, but this is juniors-everyone in your class is new. You're all in the same boat and you'll be fine. Bye Lukey!" She trotted off in the opposite direction. I turned to look at the door of my new classroom. I scuffed the tip of my shoe across the ground, took a deep breath and entered the room. The door swung shut behind me and I was left analysing the nearly empty classroom. The teacher looked at me and smiled, her painted lips parting to reveal slightly stained teeth.

"Hi sweetie!" she said, her voice unnaturally high (to this day, I still despise it). I rolled my eyes. I was eight, not three and not stupid. "Have you got the right room?" I nodded, my hair flopping in my eyes. "Okay, name, sugarplum?"

"L-Luke H-Hemmings." I replied. Her brown eyes scanned a tablet, until she found my name and checked me off.

"Found you! Okay, right this way, hun." Her skinny arm wrapped around my shoulders, steering me to a desk next to a window. She pulled out the chair and manoeuvred me in. "My name is Miss Parker and I'll be your teacher for the rest of this year, I know you'll be very happy here!" I huffed; this year was going to be incredibly loooong. "This will be your seat until Christmas-and if you're good, even after that!" I sighed again; Miss Parker was already getting on my nerves. "I'll assign (do you know what assign means?) you a seat buddy and they'll be your seat buddy until Christmas! We'll shuffle (do you know what shuffle means?) it up after Christmas. Okay, Luke, sit here and wait for the rest of the class!" I watched her retreating back, her dress swirling around her thighs. I already wanted this year to end. I stared out of the window at the grey sky, daydreaming about nothing, twirling my pencil around my fingers. Before I knew it, another boy was being pushed into the seat next to mine. "Luke this is Michael! Michael, this is Luke!" I closed my eyes, her voice already grating on my nerves. Miss Parker gave Michael the same spiel she gave me before tottering away. I sighed, staring out of the window again.

The shrill ringing of the bell snapped me out of my daydream and I turned towards the front of the class.

"Alright class!" Miss Parker near-shouted, after the bell had stopped ringing. "Today is going to be very relaxing; we're going to do art!" She was met with silence from the class. "I said...we're going to do art!!" She tried again, only to be met with the same response. A girl with long auburn hair on the row in front of me giggled slightly. Miss Parker huffed, turning to snatch up her supplies and dole them out, with unnecessary force. She slapped down two A3 sheets on our desk and Michael giggled next to me.

"She's in a bad mood, isn't she?" He said, emerald eyes bright and sparkling, a smile playing on his dark pink lips. "Soured very quickly-we'll have to be careful." He pushed his dark blonde fringe out of his eyes. I nodded slightly, still in awe that somebody was talking to me. "I'm Michael Clifford, who are you?"

"Uh-uh, L-Luke H-Hemmings?" I said, it coming out more like a question. He chuckled.

"Are you sure?" He smirked. My lip jutted out slightly, this boy was mean. "Aww, don't be a baby. C'mon art!" If this boy was trying to be funny, he really wasn't being. I slid a sheet of paper over to me and began to sketch. I'd always considered myself an artist-many of my 'masterpieces' were displayed on the fridge. I began to sketch Miss Parker, playing it nice and safe. "What are you doing?" Michael asked, peering over my shoulder. I huffed and moved away slightly. "Is that Miss Parker!? What are you drawing her for?" The disdain was clear in his voice. I rubbed it out viciously with my rubber. Michael was getting on my nerves. He was talking loudly to a brown haired, brown eyed boy on the row in front of us, rocking back casually on two legs of his chair. His sheet was completely empty; he had no right to chew out my drawing. So rude. I huffed, now sketching Michael instead (I don't know why, fight me okay). A side profile. I mapped out his face, looking at him every so often to get it as right as I could. I was only eight, okay? I wasn't good back then. His hair proved the most difficult to draw, but I managed. Gently, I coloured him in with my pencils that my mom had bought for me a few days earlier.

Finally, I finished. I leant back in my chair, but not as far as Michael, and watched the class for a bit. Michael had his head ducked down and was actually drawing now. I wrote my name on the back of my drawing as Michael, once again, rocked back in his chair. I flipped the paper over and heard Michael inhale sharply.

"Is that me!?" He asked, sounding vaguely...angry.

"Uhhh, y-yeah?" I whispered.

"Why would you draw me?" Michael snapped, eyes going a darker, more dangerous shade of green.

"I-I'm s-sorr-ry I-I d-d-did-"

"Of course you didn't!" He yelled. The boy Michael was talking to earlier came round to Michael and placed a hand on his arm. "Go away Calum!" Michael yelled, shaking Calum's hand off. Michael continued to yell until I pushed back my chair from the table and ran out of the class. I didn't go back in for the entire day, spending the day doodling in the head's office. When I went back after school, Miss Parker explained that she had moved Michael and I was now sat by myself at a desk.

"M-miss?" I asked when she had finished explaining.

"Yes, Luke?"

"W-What ha-happen-ned t-to m-my drawi-drawing?"

"You did one?" I nodded. "Michael told me you didn't-just doodled and messed around on a page. He said he put it in the bin."

"O-oh." My eyes dropped to the ground. "Th-thanks." I edged out of the door and went to find Jacey, trying to cool my boiling blood down. It didn't work.

I hated him.

I hated Michael Clifford.

So this is a Muke story. If you don't like gay dudes, you should probably not read this. Basically just rolling with the punches with this story.

Hope you liked!

-Jay