space boy; muke

ii

Luke walked around for the rest of the day, holding onto the pamphlet that Michael had given him earlier. He couldn't wait to go to the meeting tonight, he was ecstatic. Luke had never really understood Michaels fascination with space, and never took an interest to it himself. He really didn't know what he was getting into.

By the time the day was over, Michael's brochures for the meeting that night were scattered all around the halls, being stepped on by the herds of students wanting to go home. Luke was trying his best to avoid stepping on them, but didn't have the patience to stop and pick them all up. There were hundreds of booklets that had fallen, being forgotten about by the passersby.

As Luke turned a corner in the hallway, he saw Michael on his hands and knees, trying to pick up the many flyers that now lay abandoned on the dusty floor. He looked like he had been crying, his face was red and tear-stained.

"Michael, are you okay?" Luke asked, sitting next to Michael, helping clean up the mess.

"Nobody wants to come tonight, Luke, they all think I'm stupid!" Michael cried. Tears began rolling down his cheeks as he stopped organizing the booklets.

"Hey, hey, no, don't cry." Luke said, putting his arms around Michael's limp body. "Did you even want those kinds of people at your club anyways? You're better off being alone and enjoying yourself than being with a group of people you don't even like, and ending up feeling crappy." He started to rub Michael's back, but stopped himself. He couldn't show his affection here, in the middle of the hallway, it would have to wait. "It'll be okay, Mikey."

Michael and Luke sat together in the hallway together, Luke calming Michael down, until the janitor came around to clear up the hallway.

"You can just sweep those up." Michael sniffled at the janitor, pointing to the forgotten flyers. "It's okay."

After the janitor continued past the two boys with his broom and trash can, Luke helped Michael up. "Aright, I'll see you later, Michael. Do you need a ride home?"

"No," Michael shook his head. "I'll stay here until later."

Luke was astounded. "Until 11? Are you sure you'll be alright here until then?"

"Yeah, I have food with me, and I don't want to make you drive me home. I'll be fine." Michael explained.

"Are you positive? Because I really don't mind." Luke tried to argue to the point with the boy, but he shook his head.

"Luke, I'll be fine, I promise." He said. "I hope to see you later." Michael smiled weakly, then set out on his way. Luke couldn't believe what he had just been told. There was no possible way that Michael had something to do for another 8 hours. Who even wanted to stay at school for that long? Luke shrugged the thought off, and walked out to his car in the student lot. He really wished these next several hours would pass quickly.