Boy With The Cinderblock Garden (Luke Hemmings AU/Fanfiction)

Part 1: 10

liana's pov

I got to Chem and sat down at a desk. As usual, Luke was one of the last people to enter the room. There was an empty spot right next to me so Luke walked right over to it.

"Hey can I sit here, or are you expecting Trina?" He asked.

I grinned up at him. "Sure. Go ahead. Trina's not here today."

"Cool." Luke said with a shy smile.

"What about Michael? Don't you always sit with him?" I queried while raising my eyebrows.

Luke let out a laugh. "He can survive without me for 40 minutes."

I quietly giggled.

All throughout class, I would notice Luke turning his head to stare and smile at me for a bit. I also occasionally would give him a short look without him noticing as well. It's pretty hard to not stare when someone that cute is right beside you though.

*

I got to lunch and sat down in between Nella and Izzy.

"So are you and Luke dating yet?" Izzy asked with her hand on her chin and her elbow on the table, her olive green eyes opened wide.

"No, but she wishes." Nella commented before I even got a chance to reply.

Izzy peered at me with a slight smirk and raised eyebrows.

"No, but he sat next to me in Chem today." I said neutrally.

"Well duh because he likes you." Izzy said.

I rolled my eyes as I bit into my Nutella sandwich.

"They haven't even hung out just them yet. Unless you count studying in the library, but there's still other people around then. But they've only actually hung out in a group setting." Nella told Izzy. I just tried to ignore them.

"Well you gotta ask him to hang out! Unless he asks first. How do you expect to date him if you can't even talk without other people around?"

"I don't know, Izzy. I don't even know if he likes me that much as a friend, let alone more than a friend."

"What are you talking about? Are you blind?" Nella asked in shock.

"Well he just seems really reserved and drawn back." I replied with a shrug.

"Then girl, you have to be the one to pull him out of his shell!" Izzy said.

Nella nodded in agreement.

"Maybe." I paused. Izzy mouthed "yess". "I already invited him to the group hang out at my place though so it's his turn to invite me." I said.

"If he's closed off like you said, you might just have to take control. I'm pretty sure he likes you, but I don't see him doing anything about it soon." Nella advised.

I thought about it and then realized that they were right.

"Okay. I'll just keep it low key but bring up hanging out just the two of us soon. Not a date though. We're just friends."

"Finally!" Nella exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

*

luke's pov

It was after school and instead of doing my homework, I was texting Liana. We were mostly talking about movies and music and the typical stuff we usually talk about, but today I wasn't as held back as I usually was. I talked more about my real opinions and I even told her about some things from Australia. It was the first time I'd actually told her anything about life back at home.

"We should hang out soon" Liana texted.
"like not just in a big group" her second text said.

"yeah definitely, when and where r u thinking?" At first I couldn't believe I sent that, but what else was I going to say, "no"? I liked her anyways, I can't just avoid her. Also, I didn't have to be too worried. It's not like she asked me out on a date. She did just said "hang out."

"idk doesn't matter to me" she sent.

"K how bout we go somewhere to hang?" I asked. I didn't really want to invite her over to my house, well to my host house, and I had already been to her house recently.

"Sure do you like the mall or is that too much of a "girl thing" for you?" Liana texted back.

"haha that's cool actually I like shopping. There's some stuff I need and we could eat at the food court or something" I sent.

"K lol."

We made our plans and I actually felt better. I was excited to hang out with her. I didn't have to let her know that I liked her because she probably only likes me as a friend. Who cares what Ashton says? I don't have to act on my feelings because what if my feelings change soon? I could just hang out with her as friends and get over whatever stupid crush I have.