Please Take Me Home

Happy Holidays, You Bastard

Please Take Me Home

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Chapter Four

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Happy Holidays, You Bastard

If Luke could ever pinpoint the exact moment when he realized when things went spiraling out of control, it would have to be now.

It was just another day of Grade Five.

The boys were both eleven and had stuck together thick and thin.

Mikey's cut had scared nicely, or as nicely as scars could scar, it was barely noticeable expect when Luke looked at Mikey, which was...always.

Grade Six was dawning closer and it, being Term Four, the boys were waiting restlessly for the letter that would be addressed to their parents telling each parent what class their child was in for the next year.

Luke and Michael had been in the same class for six years and they weren't going to let one year ruin their winning streak. Because quite frankly, they were each others half.

***

At last came the day when the notice was sent from the administration office. They were addressed to the parents but given to the children. to bring home, which was quite silly if you asked Luke because he saw kids opening them up as soon as they got them. Luke loved the surprise because without a doubt he knew his best friend, Michael, was going to be in his class.

"Now please remember to take your letters home before opening them..." Luke's grade had the old-bat-witch substitute teacher that no one liked and most of all, no one listened to.

Luke could see people already opening their letters but as he looked to the other side of the room he saw a boy about his age looking rather uncomfortable as a girl kept advancing toward him, looking at him strangely in a way that made Luke feel a little uncomfortable himself but also made him want to laugh out loud. The certain boy he was looking as caught his eye and smiled the special kind-of-smile that Luke had grown to love and right then, Luke decided that he wasn't going to open his letter just yet.

The school bell unmistakably rang throughout the school and everyone in the classroom secured their bags that were already packed - some with their letter inside and some without had they already been opened - but still waited to be dismissed.

Luke waited a little bit before advancing the classroom door. He only did that to catch up with Michael.

The funniest part about Michael, Luke thought to himself, was that sometimes he could be so oblivious to the world. The girl that kept looking at Michael had the biggest crush on him and Luke witnessed, right in front of his eyes, was Michael shuffling through the little crowd, leaving the girl standing there, just to walk out of the classroom with him.

"I think instead of 'Captain Obvious', I might have to call you 'Captain Oblivious' now." Luke said while scanning the outside.

Michael, who clearly wasn't listening smiled and nodded, that was something that he was known for doing.

"Oh yeah, that's nice." Luke hit Michael on the arm and they both laughed. "Only joking, I promise. She's getting a little creepy now. I might have to get a restraining order soon."

Both boys continued to joke and chuckle.

Michael's mum always chose to collect Michael from the side of the school which was always empty so he had to walk in the completely other direction than Luke, who's mum just picked him up from the 'drop-and-go'.