Super

35 - I'm Basically A Chameleon

"'I don't want to be a man,' said Jace. 'I want to be an angst-ridden teenager who can't confront his own inner demons and takes it out verbally on other people instead.'

'Well,' said Luke, 'you're doing a fantastic job.'

– Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

"Who do you like?"

"What are you, five?"

"Ooh, who do you like?"

"No one."

"Who–"

"No one."

"Who. Do. You. Li–"

"How long are you going to keep asking?"

"Until you admit it's me."

Luke blinked. "What?"

"Where's a super with mind reading abilities when you need one?" Nick laughed.

Lila snorted and I giggled. The boys shot us curious glances and our chortles turned into strangled coughs as we struggled to hide the reason we were laughing. Resisting the urge to look over at Dresden, I elbowed Lila and waggled my eyebrows. 

"Lila, we excel at ship names. What shall we name Luke and Nick?" 

"Oh hell no," Luke growled.

Unfortunately, school was long back in session and Christmas break was a fond, if not slightly nostalgic memory. 

"Lick? Nuke?" 

Ashton made a face, "Lila, are you trying to come up with a ship name or a name for a sex tape?"

"Oh I'm sorry, if you're so good at ship names, why don't you make one?" Lila scowled back. 

The five of us were back in math class, waiting for Mr Rye – who was fashionably late, as usual – to arrive while we chatted aimlessly and tried to forget the memories of sugar plums that danced in our heads. *Sigh*. 

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good!"

"Good!"

"Okay Hannah Montana, settle down," I intervened, shooting a glare at Lila who just huffed and crossed her arms defensively. Nick and Ashton were both turned around in their seats to face Lila and me. Lila reclined lazily in her chair with her arms folded easily across her chest. Behind her, Luke wasn't quite so relaxed. The poor boy was slumped as low as he could in his seat, doing his best to hide from Nick's flirtatious grin.

It's times like these I'm sure Luke wished he possessed the Invisible Hand's power to turn invisible or teleport the hell out of there.

"He loves it," Nick tried to convince us, "he just won't admit it."

"I'm pretty sure he's straight, Nick," Ashton shook his head.

"He has a name!" Luke protested, letting out a strangled squeak when we turned back to look at him. "Nevermind."

"Luke, are you or are you not straight?" Nick challenged with a cocked eyebrow.

Luke swallowed nervously. "Um..."

"I KNEW IT!" Nick shrieked, clapping loudly and earning a few curious glances, Dresden and Ciaran included. Kyle was in the middle of making some stupid joke, but now he just grew irritated when he noticed that once again, our group of tables had stolen the attention of his friends during one of his lame punch lines.