REGRETS

THREE: GIRL CRUSH

528 DAYS BEFORE

"I don't get no sleep, I don't get no peace thinkin' about her under your bed sheets..."

SONG: GIRL CRUSH
ARTIST: HARRY STYLES (ORIGINALLY BY LITTLE BIG TOWN)

Bonita

For the first few sunny days I got to experience in Oregon, it looked like it was only shining bright enough if it got to touch Luke's skin. The sun rays looked at home against him and I was embarrassed whenever he caught me looking at him whenever he broke away from staring out the window.

"Oh, Bo, just tell me you've got the hots for me," He teased and grinned when I was shoving my face into our textbook. "You can't avoid me. We're partners."

"Can you just let me write the essay?" I pleaded and shoved my pen into my hair. Delia pulled it out and shook her head at me before brushing her hair away from her face.

Luke rolled his eyes. "And watch my Academic integrity crumble before my eyes?"

"Why are you so dramatic?" I huffed and leaned back in my seat, toying my with pager until Delia was poking my side. "What?"

"Stop being mean to him, he just wants to be your friend," She reminded me and tutted at me.

Surprisingly, I had been getting closer to Delia. She was bringing me to tag along more on the things they did and it made my mother feel better that I had a friend. Also the fact that she was lesbian eased my anxiety about being around her more often.

Luke leaned over to my desk and wrote in the margins of my notebook.

There's a fire pit at my house. Come over? I hated that I enjoyed the way his writing looked. It was only messy because he wrote fast and pretty small. It was dainty.

"Sure," I shrugged and turned to Delia, showcasing how congenial I was being toward him. "What time?"

"Seven. I'll have appetizers and then actual food," He told me and then turned to look at our English teacher as he made way toward us.

"Miss Gonzalez," He began and placed his hands on his hips. "I'd like to ask that you don't indulge in Mr. Hemmings' constant need to have his mouth open."

I blushed and looked at Luke who was still smiling childishly at the middle aged man standing before us.

"Come on, Paul, I was just getting her into the social scene," He attempted and grinned even wider at Paul's reaction. "And we're ahead on Hamlet."

Paul sighed. "I hope your essay reveals that," He turned to Delia. "Have you even opened the book?"

"You have no faith in me, Paul. I already turned in the essay on behalf of my partner and I," Delia muttered and opened a cherry lollipop. "Keep your head up."

"I should stop being surprised about what you do, Delia," Paul mumbled and then turned on his heels. "You may be leave once you're done with the questions on the board."

Delia, Luke, and I left without Paul having to tell us again and walked toward Luke's truck. It was an old chevy with the yellow paint chipping off and one of the back lights missing. We threw our backpacks in the bed of the truck and got inside. Luke was already working on lighting a cigarette and Delia was in the process of rolling a joint for herself.

"So," Delia spoke through her work. "For tonight, it's supposed to go according to plan but you know how big of a mouth Calum has."

I watched Luke smoke, licking his lips repeatedly and flicked his ashes wherever he wanted. He made contact with me through the rearview mirror and held my stare. My lips were parted, my hair a little messy and I felt every second he kept staring more intensely than the last.