close [nick robinson au]

「01」 Pink Slips and Name Games

It wasn't the first time Lucas had been sent to detention, but it was the first time he'd been stuck sitting next to Nick, and he was not the least bit prepared.

"So . . . d'you get that pink slip for being tardy earlier . . . Lucas?" he asked quietly, glancing at the piece paper in his hand to catch his name. "You know, you really don't strike me as a Lucas; more like a Jaden."

"Jaden?" Lucas's face contorted in disgust, though he wasn't sure if it was from the name or just the person who suggested it. 

Nick frowned and shrugged. "Yea, now that I think about it, maybe Lucas is better."

"Well thanks for your input, it's been great, but could you please keep the rest of your thoughts to yourself so I can get some work done?"

"Ouch, Lucky. That hurts me."

Lucas clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on the pencil in his hand, but his voice was even and soft to avoid the attention of their adviser when he spoke. "No one calls me Lucky, not even my friends, and last I checked, we're not even that. So, could you do me two small favors? Never call me that again and please leave me alone."

Nick gave the ghost of a shrug and turned away glumly without saying a word, but the quiet didn't last long. Even though detention was only an hour long, it felt like an eternity without anyone to speak to or joke with, the things Nick usually did with his friends during class, so eventually he opted to ignore the request for silence. He nudged Lucas's shoulder with his own to get his attention. When he didn't budge, he tried again. On his third attempt, he finally turned to him with a glare that could probably cut steel. 

"What?"

A few seats in front of them, a kid with the reddest hair either of them had ever seen turned and glared their way. Nick grinned sheepishly at him and shrugged when he went back to his work. His focus was back on Lucas when he spoke. "Detention is boring and I want to talk."

"It's supposed to be boring. It's punishment, remember? And anyway, I'm not here to be your entertainment."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Yes, actually I am. I'm here because this school is full of slow ass walkers who constantly make me late for Econ. It has nothing to do with you."

"Then do it as a kindness. The Bible does tell us to be kind."

"Maybe I don't give a crap what the Bible says." Lucas shot back without so much as looking his way.

"Humor me then."

Lucas closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. All he had to do was endure a few more minutes of Nick's pestering, and then he'd never have to talk to him again. 

"Okay, fine."

Nick's face lit up in surprise. "Really?"

Lucas groaned and cast his eyes back to the papers on the desk, which were starting to look better and better when compared to the alternative. "Yes, but I'm already regretting it."

Nick nodded and cleared his throat, almost nervously before he began. "Favorite color?"

Lucas snorted, and didn't care that it earned him another glare from the redhead. "Okay seriously? You could at least put some effort into this. Think of something better."

Nick raised his eyebrows, but didn't protest since he figured it was a miracle they were even talking in the first place and he didn't want to waste it. "Okay, how about this: if you didn't know my name, what would you think it was?"

"But I do know your name, doesn't that defeat the purpose of the question? All I see when I look at you is Nick."

Nick shook his head. "You're missing the point. Just pretend you don't."

Lucas sighed but didn't argue. His eyes scanned Nick's face intently. Messy brown hair fell just above his pretty brandy eyes, and surprisingly smooth looking lips tugged up in a slight grin. After a moment it struck him just how attractive he was, and for a moment he couldn't find the words he was looking for. Then Nick cleared his throat and Lucas snapped out of it. "I don't know . . . Zach or Mitchell? Maybe Ben?"

"Mitchell?" It was Nick's turn to scrunch his face up in distaste. He had already forgotten about the way Lucas had been looking at him, and the way it made his gut turn over nervously.

Lucas raised his hands in defeat. "You're the one who asked. I told you, it's all Nick to me."

"Fair enough, Lucky."

"Don't push your luck." The words came out with just as much thinly veiled anger as he'd intended.

Hearing Damien's nickname coming from him like it was nothing both agitated and flustered him, and he didn't like being either, especially not when it was because of an annoying cute boy who was never going to pay any attention to him again. 

He was in his junior year, and had already spent too much time on boys, straight boys, he was never going to see after he graduated. So Lucas decided he was done playing nice with Nick just because of his pretty face.

"Seriously, why can't you just leave me alone?"

Nick tried less than successfully not to look taken aback. Lucky for him, Lucas's eyes were glued to the paper in front of him. 

"I'm sorry . . . do you have something against me that I missed? I think I'm being perfectly pleasant, so why are you so against talking to me?" 

That got Lucas to turn to him. "Not much really, just that we've gone to the same schools for five years and you didn't even know my name until today. It's pretty obvious that there's a reason we never talked before this, and honestly I don't even care what it is. I'm sorry you got bored today and I was the only one around, but I'm not here to entertain you. This is literally over now anyway so go bother someone else. I don't care as long as it's not me."

The timer at the front of the room went off signaling the end of their detention, and Lucas was the first one out. His words had meant to rid him of Nick, but instead they had ensured that he would never see the end of him.