innocent {luke hemmings a.u.}

-1-

As I dig through all the stuff in my closet, my dresser and then to under my bed, I finally find my backpack that hasn't been used in what feels like years.

I stuff my binders and pencils that I bought previously into the old bag along with my lunch and zip it up. I look over to my full body mirror on my wall, I see myself staring back at me.

I look myself up and down, my short body, my long, light brown hair and bright blue eyes coated with clear contacts. My tanned summer skin, light skinny jeans and white converse.

Turning away from the mirror before I start to critique myself, I grab my bag and leave my room, checking my phone for the time.

11 minutes before my ass needs to be in a classroom.

"Im leaving," I scream across the house to my dad who probably isn't even home.

I look to the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water and see a note stuck on it with a magnet that reads,

'left early for work. have a good first day!

- Dad'

That answers my question.

 The school is about half a mile away and they won't come pick me up on the bus because I live 'too close to the school.' This is why I need a fucking car, but I've failed the test three times.

It takes me about 10 minutes to get to school on a normal day when I'm just walking, but today, I'm sprinting.

As I slow down coming up to the school, I take a deep breath and look at the brick building. This is my last year of high school, I'm so ready to graduate.

I walk into the school, passing freshman nervously trying to open their lockers and cliques gossiping with each other. The bell rings, signaling me that I have 5 minutes to get to class.

A group of guys pass me and a 6 foot tall junior sticks his leg out, tripping me.

"Wow, Jason, so fucking classic," a boy says, walking over to me and leaning down to help me pick up my binders.

"Chill the fuck out man, it was just a joke."

"Yeah, good one," he says.

I look up and lock eyes with somebody I least expected it to be.

Luke Hemmings.

"Uh thanks but it's okay, you don't have to-"

"I got it," he smiles and stands up with my binders in his hand.

He hands me my stuff and I say, "Thanks."

"No problem, they're assholes."

"Yeah, I know," I say and he laughs.

"Well, see you around, Jaycee."

"Yeah, uh, you too, Luke."

I smile and turn into my history class.

Why can't I be a functional human being and say one word to somebody without sounding like a complete idiot?

This is why I have no friends.

III

After an hour and a half of economics and another hour and a half in AP Chem, I eat lunch at my table I used to eat at with my best friend, Addison. She moved to the states because her dad got a job transfer during the summer. She was literally my only friend for years and I was hers.

After I finish eating half of my sandwich and some chips, I throw away the sack I brung my lunch in leave the lunch room to go to my locker. I grab my honors english and algebra 3 binders and shut my locker, looking at my schedule to find what classroom algebra is in.