My eyes opened hazily to the sound of a TARDIS. Slowly, I slammed the snooze button and rolled over. I had a few more minutes until I had to crawl into the gates of hell, and I wanted to spend my precious time sleeping.
After it felt like enough minutes had passed, I groaned and sat up in my bed, the icy air created goosebumps across my bare chest. While searching the floor for my favorite white-and-grey striped sweater and black skinny jeans, my TARDIS went off again. I unplugged it. After pulling on my clothes, I walked into my tiny bathroom. I didn't feel like messing with my hair, who was really going to look at it anyway?
Grabbing my iPod and headphones, I was ready to walk out the door but heard a familiar voice that surprised me. My mom, here now? She must be running low on cash.
"Hungry?" Piped up my frail mother from over the stove. I sighed. She shouldn't be here, he might hurt her.
"Nope. By the way, he moved the cash to the drawer under the television, don't take more than twenty because he might notice." I kissed her head, grabbed my red Chuck Taylors, and ran out the door.
I live right around the block from my small high school, so it was a short walk. I made sure I got there before everyone else so I could get to my first class in peace.
________
That peace didn't last long.
There's a rare creature lurking around the hallways, one that I should probably introduce. It's name is Luke Hemmings. This creature is known for it's amazing good looks and charismatic charm, but also for it's small-mindedness and ability to kill with one strike.
The first time I happened to run into Luke today was right after math. I huddled between herds of hallway-goers long enough to get to my locker, but after that I was alone. Vulnerable. Just as I reached for my science books, my locker shut loudly. I winced.
"Hello, Satan." I groaned, standing up and forcing a small smile. The only response I got was a passive-aggressive smile.
"Hey, Ashton." He laughed. The evil twinkled in his eyes.
"What is today? Physical pain? Homophobic slurs? Or are you going for the cliche lunch money routine?" I mumbled, not making eye contact. I tried to swerve around him, but his terrifying(ly gorgeous) arms stopped me.
"Nothing right now. Later, however? Probably." He flicked my nose and walked away. People don't make sense.
____________________
I managed to make it to lunch Luke-free, but I did get a few pushes and humiliating comments from his friends. I grabbed a bottle of water and sat at my lunch table. I guess Jess, my best friend, saw the look on my face. Hers was laced with worry.
"What's wrong?" She asked, twirling her blonde hair. Jess and I have been best friends since we were six, and she could read my mind in a heartbeat. The fact she even had to ask surprised me.
"I don't know, um, Luke goes to our school. That's a thing that wrong." I crossed my arms and stuck out my lower lip. She giggled. Lunch wasn't so bad, Luke just stared at me with disgust a few times. I didn't really understand why he wanted to torment me so much, we were mostly on two separate worlds. He was popular and smart and captain of the football team. I was unimportant and only hung out with the girl groups. He always had a girl on his arm, I was lonely and hopelessly (fabulously) gay.
After lunch, I threw away my empty bottle and took a few shortcuts to my next class, language. My only class with Luke.
I took my seat between Jess and Lily, collapsing into my seat when Luke walked in. The teacher walked in a little too chipper and stood at the board.
"Hey guys! I have an announcement! Project!" Ms. Potts exclaimed, the second syllable in project was sprayed across the first unlucky row. I hated how happy she was. Nobody was really this happy and a high school teacher. (Serial killer?)
She started to explain the project, but I didn't really listen to it much. "I will be assigning you a partner-" A collective groan escaped the class, including me.
"And I want you to get to know them right away. This paper is worth fifty percent of your grade, so no slacking!" That was when she started to read off names. Jess got paired up with someone else, and I deflated, this already sucked.
"Ashton Irwin, you'll be working with Luke Hemmings!"
The only reaction I felt capable of was laughing.
"You're kidding. Where are the hidden cameras?" I looked around the room. Jess punched me in the side, and the teacher just sighed unemotionally.
"If you are unable to work with your partner, bring a real reason to me at the end of class. Begin!" She clapped her hands and we slowly dispersed into our different groups.
Blonde satan made his way to my desk. Is this going to suck? Probably.
