Burning Up The Sun // Muke

Chapter 3

The subdued grins on the faces of the boys fell when Principal Higgins turned to face the boys, his expression firm and unbreakable. His room was reasonably spacious for an office, with a desk right in front of a window, which was presumably where the man sat, due to piles of paperwork littering the area of it. Other features of the room were two tables, one on the left of the room and one on the right, each with a green classroom chair pressed against it. Out the window the wide perimeter of the playing fields could be seen, and if you squinted your eyes, even the school gates where Luke met Calum in the mornings. 

"Sit down." Principal Higgins said suddenly, motioning to the desks on either side of the room. Obediently, Michael sat down in the left while Luke took the desk on the right. They sat back to back, facing separate walls. "Hemmings, I trust you have made the apologies I asked you to."

"Yeah, I have," Luke replied, wincing as he remembered the awkward words he had exchanged with the janitors and teachers while covered in mud at the bottom of the hill. 

"Good. Well, I trust you both to study for this time until I get back. You're both here for a month's block of detention, and I assume you would have much to study in that time if you would wish to pass those exams at the end of the year." he said, his arms folded as he stood in the middle of the two boys. "Your parents should be thanking me. You both want to go to University, don't you?"

His question was supposed to be rhetorical, and so the boys stayed silent.

"I have someone coming to watch you while I get lunch, I expect you both to think deeply about what you've done," Principal Higgins said, and with that headed past them to the door, giving them one last glare before the door shut behind him.

It was quiet for a few beats, before Michael turned slowly to face Luke in his chair, an amused expression on his face. 

"Did he really think we'd sit like good little robots this whole time?" Michael said, fluffing up his hair so the spikes stood even more drastically. "I'm bored already."

Observing from over his shoulder, Luke shifted his body around to fully meet the boy aswell, his feet drumming on the floor nervously. He could not place a finger on it, but there was something familiar about this boy. He would have remembered the near alarming brightness of this guy's hair on anyone in this tiny town, and with the Green Day shirt it looked like they should have been friends. No one else in the school seemed to have the same music taste, and it was one that the group silently despaired but were also to an extent thankful for. The bands they all liked were their secret, the popular kids wouldn't have the same appreciation for alternative music that they did, though at the same time, Luke wished sometimes that these bands received the accreditation they deserved. This was one of the things that brought Luke's friend group together, that they all adored their alternative music.

This stream of thought slipped off of Luke's tongue when he answered Michael. "Yeah man. By the way, I love your shirt, Green Day are so good."

Michael looked down to his sleeveless shirt, then back up to him with a smile. "Thanks man, I like yours too,"

Taken aback, Luke looked down to his red plaid shirt. It was nothing special, but he appreciated the compliment anyway. A few more moments of quiet passed before it was Michael that abruptly broke the quiet next.

"I think we should just ditch."

Luke's stomach flipped. "Ditch?" he echoed. 

"Yeah, I'm not sitting here for an hour."

Luke sighed. "I don't know man, I'm kind of in enough trouble already."

Michael frowned at him for a moment. "Enough trouble?" he said. "There's never enough trouble, that's what makes life exciting." He stood up abruptly from his chair, kicking it to the side slightly.